


Sun IC2-Book 1: The Trans Omni Omega Omnisphere's Brightest Sun

by FSAppaneestyUOZC99999999Supremum



Series: Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon: The Birth of a Pokémon Grandmaster [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Harem, Beyond Infinite-Dimensional Tiers, F/F, F/M, Harems, Inaccessible Cardinals, Multi, Omnipotence, Open Eternal Bonds, Open Marriage, Open Relationships, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Theoretical Axioms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:25:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 31,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23220115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FSAppaneestyUOZC99999999Supremum/pseuds/FSAppaneestyUOZC99999999Supremum
Relationships: Elio/Multi, Lilie | Lillie & You | Elio
Series: Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon: The Birth of a Pokémon Grandmaster [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669504





	1. New Places, Unfamiliar Faces

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the ZOF concept and any OCs that might eventually pop up. I don't make any profit from this whatsoever so don't bother suing; it won't get you anything considering I'm poor as all hell._

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon: The Birth of a Pokémon Grandmaster

Book 1: The Trans Omni Omega Omnisphere's Brightest Sun

Chapter One: New Places, Unfamiliar Faces

A boy waited eagerly in front of his computer screen, perhaps too eagerly if the way he was bouncing up and down in his seat was any indicator. "Oh come on, Mom and I have been moved in for over an hour; when is the Professor going to call?!" The teenager whined, his electric-blue eyes alight with excitement while his fingers drummed on his knees incessantly, attempting in vain to alleviate his immeasurable hyper-enthusiasm.

The boy's name was Elio, though he preferred his other nomenclature… Sun. His mom nicknamed him as such because of his sunny disposition; not a day went by when he didn't have a smile on his face at least 90 percent of the time. She always said he would one day have the power to light up the world with just his radiance alone- much to his embarrassment in later years.

He was an excitable teenage boy of blazing passion and unending amounts of hyper-active energy; with obsidian hair and glittering blue eyes like the storm and the night in the middle of the ocean. He was on his latest growth spurt and already taller than his mom, and ganglier than any teenage boy his age he'd ever seen. He was closing in on six feet high and still growing, and he ate like a freaking Rapidash and somehow stayed rail thin. And right now he was beside himself with joy at the prospect of moving to a new place; this Alola Archipelago just screamed at him to explore every nook and cranny, and he couldn't wait to get the ball rolling.

It wasn't that he didn't love Kanto back home in Pallet Town, but there were hardly any kids there his age growing up and he never really connected with anybody there so instead hyper-focused on the Pokémon League battles televised on TV and got really into the idea of training all the Pokémon there was to see.

Many Trainers swore to one day catch em all, but few if any succeeded. Sun promised himself he'd be the first, no matter whose help he had to have to do it. He was hell bent on succeeding in all aspects of being a Pokémon Master; be it training, battling, bonding, and all of that. He would be Pokémon's best friends the same as they were man's best friend. He strived to be the number one Pokémon Master in the world, and always told himself that if he couldn't dream big he might as well stay home.

His eyes scrunched shut and his smile grew to Cheshire Mew proportions as his excitement built to a crescendo; if Kukui didn't call him soon, he didn't know what he would do but it wouldn't be pretty. As if on cue, his computer monitor gave a vibrating sound as the words ' _you have a message from the Alola Region's own Professor Kukui_ ' displayed themselves across his screen.

"This is it… my journey to become the very best begins now!" Sun all but shouted as he eagerly moved his mouse curser over the video chat icon and clicked on it. True to the technological era of today's world, the video chat loaded up in record time and the monitor displayed the blurry image of a tanned, middle-aged man with a lab coat on and little else. Sun couldn't help but feel slightly envious of the man's robust figure, and made it another of his personal goals to have an Alola suntan and abs like that before his journey came to a close.

"Hang on; give me just one sec while I adjust the camera." Kukui said with childlike enthusiasm not unlike Sun's own. Sun sat impatiently, drumming his thumbs on his knees like he had been doing for the past half-hour; his mother said ADHD ran in their family and the boy clearly inherited his father's inability to stay still for even a second. It seemed he also inherited the bastard's permanent case of wanderlust, and his mother reassured him he inherited all of the old man's best qualities time and time again.

"Hey there, good afternoon Sun. So the day has finally come where you're moving to Alola huh?" Kukui greeted him with zeal.

"I know, and I'm so excited Professor; it's good to finally meet you in person! My mom told me so much about you!" Sun exclaimed in response, and Kukui chuckled at the boy's obvious enthusiasm.

"Glad to hear it; Alola is a Region made up of several islands. That could be the reason why the region is chalk full of nothin' but rare Pokémon, yeah!" Kukui said, continuing with the explanation.

"You don't have to sell it Professor; I'm already super psyched to be here!" Sun practically screamed as he threw both fists into the air while falling back into his seat. Kukui smiled at the boy's seemingly perpetual energy and bubbliness. No doubt an extrovert like him would get along swimmingly with the vast majority of Alola's people.

"Read you loud and clear cousin; let's just skip the anecdote then and get the necessities out of the way. I already know your name, but I want to know which photo you wish to use for your Trainer Passport?" Kukui replied in a laid-back tone, and Sun decided that he liked the man very much.

A series of images popped up on the screen… pictures of Sun in various places and striking various poses; some of which were quite embarrassing. The boy immediately suspected his mom had a hand in picking them. "That one," He said, deciding on the least embarrassing photo with him in his most recent change in attire. The simple blue top and red hat looked a lot better than his old clothes in his opinion… and there was more color and variety in them to.

"10-4 cousin; I'll let everyone know you're here. I'll be looking forward to seeing you in person; Alola Sun." Kukui said with a welcoming smile as the video display turned off at the click of a button on the Professor's computer.

"Hey Sun, if you're done talking to the Professor do you think you could help me with these boxes?" His Mom suddenly called out, requesting his aid as Sun rolled his eyes in a good-natured manner. His mom was the worst procrastinator in the world… odds are they'd never truly be unpacked. Half the things they brought over here were already packed away in storage at their old house; Sun honestly questioned whether the things inside those boxes had seen any use while he had been alive.

"Coming mom," he replied back to her; getting up from his chair and casting a quick glance at the pamphlet depicting a place called the Aether Foundation and its president whom Sun had to admit was the most gorgeous adult woman he'd ever laid eyes on… albeit a little intimidating.

XXXX

Each island that made up the Alola Archipelago was as different as the next one, and Akala Island's own Ruins of Life were currently under the watchful eye of not only a deified Pokémon known as Tapu Lele, but also a teenaged girl of 14-years with intense-looking hazel eyes and black hair in two braids underneath a yellow porkpie hat with a flower attached to it. She wore a spaghetti strap orange tee-shirt with red floral patterns on it, short white shorts, and a pair of white and black running shoes. She looked cute, even when she was glaring daggers at the stranger standing across from her near the entrance to the ruins. She couldn't believe the audacity of this man, this… outsider; desecrating these sacred grounds with his foreign presence.

"You have no business being here unless summoned by the Tapu for whatever reason or unless you're partaking in a Grand Trial, and considering I've just spoken with the Island Kahuna I know you didn't come here with any special permissions. I'll give you one chance to walk away outsider, or this situation might become ugly!" The girl called out to the man in a nasty tone of voice, gritting her teeth at the prospect of anyone coming here as they please, bold as brass.

The man didn't look like he had heard her at all and continued to look around him in awe as he took it all in. A vein seemed to pop on Moon's forehead as she raised her voice even higher. "EXCUSE ME?! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING! I SAID TO FUCKING LEAVE THIS PLACE; UNLESS YOU WANT TO BRING THE FURY OF THE TAPU DOWN UPON YOURSELF!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, finally grabbing his attention as he turned to face her with a sheepish smile.

"Ah, sorry about that miss; I was out training on the Akala Outskirts and kind of lost track of where I was. I'll be sure to leave in just a moment; believe me… I meant no disrespect." He said in an apologetic tone that did nothing to appease the girl's anger and frustration. If anything, she furrowed her eyebrows deeper at the man's complete ignorance.

"Who are you outsider?!" She demanded harshly.

"Ah, kids today… it is impolite to ask my name without introducing yourself young lady." He said in an admonishing tone, but the girl was having none of that.

"It doesn't matter who I am… what matters is you're trespassing. You better hope you have the strength to challenge the Tapus if you plan to continue loitering around here! Though I seriously doubt some joke of an outsider who doesn't even know our ways could beat an Island Guardian Deity anyways!" the black haired teenager retorted viciously. It was at this point that she got a proper look at the trespassing moron, and she couldn't help the shudder that passed through her when she took in his appearance.

He looked to be no older than 20-years-old, though his face was strangely timeless and unbelievably handsome - not that the nameless teenager was really fixating on that detail, but she could appreciate things like that from time to time now even in an individual many years older than her. His skin was tanned a tawny gold and his face had strange markings on each cheek resembling the letters ZIC. He wore a black cloak over his shoulders and back which was trimmed in metallic gold and fastened to the front of his chest by a pure white gemstone with the abbreviation 'AIC2' in multicolored, all-caps font. The girl had no idea what these acronyms stood for, and that just puzzled her even further. He wore a simple white tee-shirt underneath the cloak, and loose-fitting blue jeans. She met his gaze and found herself mesmerized by his iridescent golden eyes of almost otherworldly vibrancy.

"I'll ask you once again, and I expect an answer this time; who dares trespass upon these sacred grounds?!" The girl demanded once she recovered from the shock of observing this man.

The equally mysterious man gave her an irritatingly impish grin. "And all you would have to do to get your answer would be to tell me your name first; young lady. You would have me at a disadvantage otherwise, which is extremely impolite; you asked me first, so it is only fair you give me your name first. What say you?" He responded to her question with a maddening grin, and the girl sighed in defeat.

"My name is Moon… there, you got your introduction; now tell me who the fuck I'm dealing with here!" She demanded once more. Maybe the third time would be the charm.

"Ah, nice to meet you Moon; my name is Appaneesty IC2, though recently I've been going by Ash Ketchum IC2. I guess you could simply call me Ash. I'm here visiting these ruins for… various reasons of my own, you could say. I'm merely a casual observer if you will; a witness to the remarkable sequencing of events that will unfold in this universe. I'm a catalyst of this epic tale to be as much as a certain blonde haired girl will be, and her little Cosmog to." He responded airily, and Moon looked at him like he was completely nuts; given some of the things he just said… she honestly questioned his sanity. No sane individual would come to these ruins in such a nonchalant manner either, now that she thought about it.

"I think I speak for every sane person on this planet when I say… huh?" Moon quipped, feeling mightily on edge with this person. A bright pink light suddenly burst forth from the entrance to the Ruins of Life, interrupting her thought process as it crashed into the ground between her and the aforementioned Ash IC2 with meteoric impact.

Moon immediately recognized the Fairy and Psychic-type legendary form of Tapu Lele from all her time spent protecting the island as one of Kahuna Olivia's protégés. She felt awed and humbled to be so close to such a being, having only seen the Island Guardian a handful of times in her life and always fleetingly. Most people would feel intimidated, but Moon only saw in Tapu Lele a potential friend and a rival one day when she bested the Island Trials and became the Island Challenge Champion.

It was said the Island Challenge was first made to help aspiring champions grow strong enough to challenge the Tapus, and the proof of one of these legendary being's strength was right in front of her. Tapu Lele radiated a discombobulating aura of pure psychic energy; one which surged through the whole of the island and enveloped the Akala outskirts all around them in a soft pink glow. Recognizing this as the Psychic Terrain… Moon made a vow right then and there to teach that move to any Pokémon she caught that could learn it; because it was probably one of the best friends to Psychic-type Pokémon nowadays. It offered complete immunity to First Impression and Sucker Punch as well as all other instant speed attacks. It also provided Psychic-type moves with an enormous boost in power.

Tapu Lele inclined her head at the Entity who had come to her temple and scrutinized him intensely with her beautiful multicolored eyes; those same eyes widening when they recognized what kind of being this Ash Ketchum IC2 was. "IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE OUR WORLD WAS GRACED BY THE PRESENCE OF YOUR KIND. WHAT BUSINESS DOES A ZENITH OMNIDONY HAVE WITH OUR ALOLA REGION?" Tapu Lele asked in perfect human Alolan… though her voice was quite a bit naturally louder than the average person's.

Moon watched the exchange with interest, taking in everything the Guardian Deity said and wondering what the fuck a Zenith Omnidony was. Ash meanwhile, smiled charmingly at the Akala Island's watchful protector. "Ah, Tapu Lele, still as sexy as ever I see; you were always my favorite of the four Island Guardians. I also happen to like your Terrain ability the best as well, but I digress. I'm here in this Alola Region for one purpose and one purpose only. I have found a candidate here to make into a new Supreme Omnidony." He explained in a much more no-nonsense and serious tone than the one he had used with Moon earlier. The abrupt change in demeanor, as well as the subtle symphony of every note of power imaginable bleeding out from him was unnerving to her to say the least.

Tapu Lele's eyes narrowed in distrust of the man's intentions. "YOU WISH TO ALTER OUR REALITY? SURELY THERE ARE OTHER WORLDS FAR BETTER SUITED TO YOUR GIFTS AND PREPARED TO ACCEPT THEM!" She stated, the idea of their world being on this man's radar not sitting well with her in the slightest. She wouldn't let him catch her off guard with those compliments of his… calling her sexy; she would remain steadfast and stubborn until he got bored and left their planet in peace.

"Tapu Lele, I can assure you I've looked into every dimension, parallel, and alternative and I can honestly say there is no better world to receive the changes I am to implement. If there were, I wouldn't be here." He promised her, and Tapu Lele sighed when she realized there was no way to change his mind. Loathe though she was to admit it, no force on this earth or in the heavens above could force this Entity to leave their world; he would get what he wanted in the end regardless of what they or anyone else thought. Once a Zenith Omnidony had their heart set on a certain place or people; there was no way to dissuade them.

"WHO DID YOU HAVE PICKED OUT, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING?" Tapu Lele finally relented, recognizing the hopelessness of this situation but also lamenting her powerlessness to stop it.

Ash smiled at her reassuringly. "There's no need to be so glum about it you know, and of course I don't mind. It's the very same Trainer whom you guys have arranged to move to Alola this very day; the one who will become one of the greatest Trainers this world has ever known. I speak of course… of the future Sun IC2." He answered her, and Tapu Lele closed her eyes… mourning the death of the poor boy and his rebirth into something else entirely. Everything he was would be gone in a split-second, only to be replaced by another Arceus-damned Zenith Omnidony. Of course it would be the Trainer they were pinning all their hopes on, and while Tapu Lele didn't deny the boy would have powers beyond reason when and if he did undergo the transformation… she also couldn't help wondering if their world was better off without any type of interference from a higher power whatsoever.

Moon continued to stand off to the side and listen to their exchanged words with wide and befuddled eyes. She wasn't following what was happening here at all. What freaked her out the most was how unnerved Tapu Lele was by this man's mere presence; anything that could scare a Guardian Deity was not to be taken lightly.

"I'M GUESSING THERE IS NOTHING I CAN SAY OR DO TO CONVINCE YOU NOT TO GIVE HIM THAT OPTION AT ALL. OUR WORLD ISN'T READY FOR THE KIND OF OMNI-SHIT YOUR KIND GETS UP TO ON A REGULAR BASIS." Tapu Lele said in an imploring tone, and Ash smiled sadly at her.

"Very few worlds ever are, but this is no longer just about your world anymore or about any one person. I need to think of ALL the worlds my selected Supreme Omnidony will save, but I can also understand why most of you aren't able to see or appreciate the bigger picture; most sentient beings are inherently selfish by their fundamental nature and can't look outside of themselves or their own little worlds. I can respect that Tapu Lele, but not when it hinders a Zenith Omnidony's responsibilities to the greater cosmos. Our kind doesn't belong to any one world or reality; we belong to all of them, and yet also none of them. I hope that in time you will come to understand the necessity of our existence and of my decision to choose this world for the ultimate paradigm shift." He responded lengthily without drawing a single breath.

Moon decided that very moment to pipe up, a look of horror and confusion plastered on her face. "Um… excuse me, but what's going on here? This sounds like it is too all-important and on too big a scale for me to even fathom. Why are you here outsider, where did you come from, and why can't you just leave instead of doing whatever alien thing you came here to do. I won't just stand by and watch while you snap your fingers and bring our world to its knees." She said, demanding an explanation for his intrusion as Ash cast a sympathetic smile before his eyes glowed with a rainbow-tinged blue light, and everything went black for Moon as she lost consciousness.

Tapu Lele's eyes widened as she examined the girl to make sure she was alright, before she rounded on Ash with fire in her eyes. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" She demanded furiously, and Ash raised both his hands in a placating manner; not wanting this conversation to turn into a fight she couldn't possibly win.

"Nothing, she's fine… she'll just sleep, and when she wakes up she won't have any memory of this conversation. It'll be up to my chosen Supreme Omnidony whether or not she learns the truth of our kind's reality; for now though I've only interests in naming one such Supreme Omnidony in this world. Whether or not he deifies anyone else on this planet in turn- particularly the woman or women he will fall in love with and can't live without- is completely up to him. He will be the first though, and he will learn through trial and error and grow into his powers; so as to help guide your world into this new age of infinite power. The best ZOF Paradigm shifts are the ones that take their time; this way at least your world will have a bit longer to acclimate to these changes… and adapt to the altered reality my new fellow Supreme Omnidony will create." He reasoned, and Tapu Lele breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that Moon was okay.

She had watched over the girl from a time when she was small, and had taken her under her wing much like her Kahuna did. Moon had a rough time of it growing up and Tapu Lele had always felt overprotective of her; so she was overjoyed that Ash hadn't harmed her in anyway… though she was less than pleased about this turn-of-events.

"SO THE ONLY ONES WHO KNOW ABOUT THIS ARE YOU AND I? WHY TRUST ME OF ALL THE LEGENDARY AND MYTHICAL POKÉMON IN OUR WORLD?" Tapu Lele skeptically questioned him, her hand on her hip as she raised a delicate eyebrow at him expectantly; awaiting his answer.

Ash's answering smile was full of mystique. "As I explained to you, you're my favorite of the Island Guardians and the one least likely to attack me on sight. True to your Psychic-typing you analyze the situation first to see if it warrants such an aggressive approach. I like that about you." He responded plainly, and Tapu Lele nodded; though she grew a sly smile as the beginnings of a really clever idea came to her.

"AND IF I SHOULD DECIDE TO BRING THIS MATTER TO THE OTHER TAPUS OR EVEN THE REALLY POWERFUL LEGENDARY ENTITIES LIKE ARCEUS?" She asked for clarification, and Ash smirked right back at her.

"That is entirely up to you, I won't try to stop you if you do try to Rattata me out, but it won't stop me from achieving my objective." He clarified, and Tapu Lele's smirk broadened. She was forming a plan in her head, but it depended on if he really thought of her as sexy. Maybe she could use that to persuade him to leave their planet alone; granted… it had been a while and she might not be as experienced as she once was, but if it got him to leave their world alone then perhaps she should give it a try.

"GOOD TO KNOW, ONE MORE QUESTION; JUST ONE MORE. WHEN YOU CHOOSE THE BOY AS YOUR PAWN; WILL HE STILL BE PERMITTED TO TRAVEL HERE IN ALOLA, TAKE THE ISLAND CHALLENGE, AND SAVE OUR WORLD FROM THE IMPENDING CALAMITY TO COME? OR WILL YOU TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM TO?" Tapu Lele queried sardonically, and Ash responded with a heart-melting, sincere smile.

"I would never take away my best potential candidate's right to choose his own fate. Life will throw situations at him because of what he'll become no doubt, but he will always be able to choose how he goes about dealing with those situations and fulfilling his destiny. And honestly, I would consider it a personal loss if he didn't choose to enjoy his new life and make the best of his time in Alola; for all I know he might even form a base of operations here."

"Frankly, there's no need to take away anything from him; the ZOF doesn't change a person's path in life so much as it adds new stuff on top of it. And it permits them to live the way they choose way beyond their previously intended time to die. Honestly Tapu Lele, you have little reason to be so afraid; it'll be easy worth for him to fulfil whatever directive you and the other Tapus have planned for him on these islands, far easier than it would've been without these alterations." Ash promised her with that smile never leaving his face. Tapu Lele did feel a little bit better about all this, but she was still somewhat uneasy. If nothing else, at least the boy would retain his freedom to choose.

"I'M HONESTLY CURIOUS, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE BOY ACTUALLY DECIDED NOT TO ACCEPT YOUR GENEROUS OFFER?" Tapu Lele asked him, breaking her unspoken promise from before to only ask him one last question.

Ash obliged her regardless. "Nothing, that's his decision alone Tapu Lele. Most people don't realize it, but there are actually quite a few people who've rejected my offer and managed to live healthy, happy, fulfilling, ordinary lives because of it. Don't get me wrong, he would be denying so many worlds the potential inside of him, and I would be saddened to hear it, but I would respect his decision. I guess I would just have to make do without him, and even if the Trans Omni-Totalities are all the worse off for it; things like this have a way of working themselves out with or without the influence of my best potential candidates. I created the ZOF and the Trans Omni Omega Omnispheres to be constantly in flux and endlessly self-improving to boot; so even if he's the best candidate right now someone better may come along in the future. So my answer is obvious Tapu Lele." He responded, and the Akala Island Guardian smiled dazzlingly at him as she felt a huge weight lift off her chest. That was the most reassuring thing he could've said to her, and she was glad that no matter the outcome not only would the boy have the right to choose but the realities beyond would find a way to compensate should he choose not to accept.

"I THANK YOU FOR YOUR REASSURANCE ON THE MATTER ASH KETCHUM. YES, I KNOW WHOSE FACE YOU EMULATE; EVEN THOUGH OUR WORLD HAS NO COUNTERPART TO HIM OTHER THAN THE TRAINER RED FROM KANTO. THE ULTRA WORMHOLES HAVE BEEN A USEFUL TOOL FOR IDENTIFYING ICONIC FIGURES FROM OTHER WORLDS; OF COURSE ONLY BEINGS LIKE PALKIA OR ARCEUS ARE FULLY IN TUNE WITH MULTIVERSAL CONVENTIONS." Tapu Lele responded with a far airier tone than she had been using. She no longer felt the need to seduce the man into leaving their world untouched- not that she expected it to work ultimately- and who knows… this could be a blessing in disguise. After all, a Trainer who was infused with the power of the ZOF as well as his Pokémon ought to be a terrific ally in the wars to come.

Ash nodded with a flirtatious smile on his face. "Not a problem my sexy lady friend; I'm always glad to be a source of reassurance. I best take my leave now, but perhaps our paths may cross again someday." He said, and Tapu Lele smirked at him.

"I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, YOU SWEET TALKER YOU. SERIOUSLY, KEEP CALLING ME SEXY AND I MIGHT JUST HAVE TO SHOW YOU HOW SEXY I CAN GET." She winked at him suggestively, and they both shared an easygoing laugh before Ash was gone in a whirl of his black cloak… vanishing into thin air with nary a crack of displacement.

Tapu Lele stared at the spot where he'd been for a long while afterward, her face burning and her body hot with lust for the first time in a long while. She hadn't felt attracted to anyone who resembled a human in a long time, and she hoped she would see him again someday; if for no other reason than to scratch the itch he'd given her then so be it. It was then that she remembered Moon, and she floated over to her with a caring smile as the black-haired girl stirred and groaned tiredly in her hypnotically-induced sleep or however Ash did the trick. She was just glad he didn't use the Dark Void technique or that a Darkrai was near; that particular legendary was a boon to nearly every Psychic-type Pokémon in existence.

"Ugh… what happened, I remember coming to the Ruins of Life to tell off a trespassing outsider, then zilch." Moon moaned as she sat up into the grass while recapping recent events out loud. It was as she sat up straighter that she became aware of the Guardian Deity's presence here as well.

"Um… Tapu Lele? Am I dreaming?" She asked dazedly, obviously still out of it as the Psychic and Fairy-type legendary shook her head.

"THIS IS NOT A DREAM YOUNG ONE; I HAVE DRIVEN THE INTRUDER AWAY, THOUGH IT WOULD SEEM THE BACKLASH FROM MY DOING SO KNOCKED YOU OUT FOR A SHORT WHILE. YOU SEEM TO BE UNHARMED THANKFULLY." She said when it became clear she'd have to come up with a convincing story to fill the gaps in Moon's memory. The young aspiring Trainer nodded, a little unsurely as she soaked all of this in; wanting nothing more than to go back home and sleep the day away. Oh, it would be wonderful if she could do that… if only her father wasn't an abusive drunk 90 percent of the time. She supposed she could go back to where she had been living for the past three months- crashing on Olivia's couch- but she was tired of being a freeloader and was content with what she knew about Pokémon already. She was ready to begin her journey, and hoped Tapu Lele would support her decision.

As though the Island Guardian read her mind, Tapu Lele produced a fully formed Z-Power Ring; not even in its unpolished sparkling stone form. "THIS Z-POWER RING BELONGED TO THE FIRST KAHUNA OF AKALA ISLAND THAT I EVER CHOSE… SHE WAS YOUR DISTANT ANCESTOR MOON, AND GAVE HER Z-POWER RING BACK TO ME TO PASS ON TO SOMEONE ELSE WHEN SHE BECAME TOO OLD TO OPERATE AS KAHUNA ANYMORE. SHE WAS ALSO AN ISLAND CHALLENGE CHAMPION, AND ONE OF THE SELECT FEW PEOPLE TO HAVE EVER SEEN BOTH LEGENDARY POKÉMON OF ALOLA UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL." Tapu Lele explained the history behind the Z-Power Ring as Moon's eyes widened, too stunned by this revelation to accept the generous gift.

"I… can't accept this Tapu Lele; it holds too much historical value." She protested weakly, though deep inside her heart of hearts she longed to hold such a valuable item. It almost seemed to sing in her presence, calling out to her, and it took everything she had not to reach out and grab it.

Tapu Lele smiled reassuringly. "SHE WOULD'VE WANTED YOU TO HAVE IT; YOU WOULDN'T REJECT SUCH A GIFT FROM ONE OF THE ISLAND GUARDIANS, WOULD YOU?" She said in a dangerous tone that was mostly falsified. She was simply playing on Moon's enormous reverence for the Island Deities as well as her lavished devotion to Alola's cultures and customs. Moon's eyes widened in horror as the implications sunk in, and she snatched the Z-Power Ring away from Tapu Lele without any further hesitation.

"Of course not, please forgive me for my initial hesitancy, Island Guardian." Moon said while bowing respectfully at Tapu Lele's feet with her hands stretched out in front of her on the grass and her head crouched down low to the ground.

Tapu Lele grinned at the girl's contriteness in her presence. "THAT WAS A MINOR SHORTCOMING AT THE VERY WORST MOON; YOU WILL MAKE A FINE ISLAND CHALLENGE CHAMPION YET… BUT MANY OBSTACLES STAND IN YOUR WAY. ARE YOU WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO STAND AT THE SUMMIT?" The pink Deity asked in an enticing voice as Moon nodded eagerly like a kid at a rare candy sale.

"Yes, I mean… if you think I am ready." The girl replied in earnest.

"IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT I THINK; IT'S ABOUT WHETHER _YOU_ THINK YOU ARE. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRIALS THAT WILL COME YOUR WAY. TAKE A FERRY TO MELEMELE ISLAND AT THE TERMINAL IN HEAHEA CITY. ALL ASPIRING ISLAND CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS START THEIR JOURNEYS ON THAT ISLAND FIRST. ONCE YOU REACH MELEMELE ISLAND, YOU WILL SPEAK TO KAHUNA HALA ABOUT OBTAINING YOUR STARTER POKÉMON; I BELIEVE THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU IF MEMORY SERVES ME. ONCE YOU HAVE OBTAINED YOUR STARTER, YOUR TRAINER PASSPORT, AND ISLAND CHALLENGE AMULET; YOU WILL BE READY TO BEGIN. IF YOU RUN INTO ANY COMPLICATIONS ON THE WAY; SIMPLY TELL HALA THAT TAPU LELE VOUCHED FOR YOU… HE'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO. OH, YOU'LL ALSO NEED TO INFORM OUR OWN ISLAND KAHUNA ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON." Tapu Lele gave her a very specific set of instructions as Moon nodded once again… an overexcited grin etched on her gorgeous Alolan features as she realized this was it. It wasn't every day that a beginning Trainer got a reference from the Island Guardians themselves… if that wasn't a sign that her time to begin Training was now she didn't know what was.

"I… graciously accept your generous offer Tapu Lele; mark my words, I will be a Trainer that you and all of Alola can be proud of." Moon vowed, and the Deity nodded with an approving smile.

"SEE THAT YOU DO, YOUNG ONE. ENSURE YOU ALSO DON'T FORGET TO TELL OLIVIA ABOUT THIS RECENT DEVELOPMENT; SHE WORRIES FOR YOU JUST AS I DO." Tapu Lele said in a mothering tone, one which made Moon's heart ache with longing as she fought back tears of joy at the thought that people actually cared for her. She'd spent most of her life being completely independent and self-sufficient; given that her family was never there for her… but the fact that she didn't have to be so strong all the time with these wonderful people and Pokémon who had taken in… it was more than she could stand most days.

"Olivia is like the mother I never had, and you've been looking out for me since I was just barely old enough to toddle Tapu Lele. I'll be forever grateful for everything you've both done for me. And I wouldn't dream of flaking out on Olivia without explaining to her in explicit detail where I was going and what I'm planning to do. It's the least I can do when she's taken such good care of me these past months." Moon admitted in a rare, uncharacteristic display of tender and loving emotions. She knew she could be hard to deal with and was just a hard-ass and uncompromising in general, but she wasn't some heartless monster.

Tapu Lele could instantly tell Moon would become a Trainer she could be proud of one day… maybe even enough to join whatever Pokémon roster she ended up befriending. "YOUR JOURNEY HASN'T EVEN BEGUN, AND ALREADY YOU SHOW SO MUCH PROMISE. YOU WILL GO FAR MOON… MARK MY WORDS. YOUR JOURNEY MAY ALSO HOLD A FEW SURPRISES YOU NEVER COULD'VE SEEN COMING. ALWAYS REMEMBER THOUGH… YOUR GREATEST FOE IS ALWAYS YOURSELF; YOUR BEST ALLY THE POKÉMON BESIDE YOU." Tapu Lele whispered sagely, and Moon giggled.

"That's what Olivia is always saying." She pointed out, and Tapu Lele laughed with her.

"AND WHERE DO YOU THINK MY CHOSEN KAHUNA GOT THAT NUGGET OF WISDOM FROM. HER QUOTE ABOUT DIAMONDS AND PUSHING TO ABSOLUTE LIMITS IS HERS… BUT HER OTHER FAMOUS QUOTE IS MINE. NOW GO, YOUR DESTINY AWAITS YOU MOON." Tapu Lele adoringly stated, and she was pleasantly surprised when Moon suddenly embraced her. Knowing that the girl usually had an iron grip on her emotions… this was a rare display of affection, and Tapu Lele was not going to ruin it.

Instead, she simply returned it; she was honored by the affection this wonderful girl showed her. Contrary to popular belief, the Tapus weren't as high and mighty as the humans believed- capricious definitely, the prided themselves on their unpredictability- but they adored hugs and many other human interactions… even if battle-crazed Tapus like Koko were loath to admit as much. So to stand here receiving a loving hug from a girl whose composure and tough façade were usually unshakable… was as much an honor to Tapu Lele as receiving a Z-Power Ring from her was to a human Trainer.

Moon was the first to pull away, and the both of them had blissful smiles on their faces. "Thank you for everything Tapu Lele. I will never forget my roots and where I came from… even when I someday stand at the summit of the World Championship I will look down on this place with absolute pride in my heritage. I'll make sure the whole damn world knows I'm from Alola, and that we're not to be trifled with." She declared with resolution and raw determination.

Tapu Lele wanted to tell her that a big part of being the World Champion was learning to draw wisdom from all the cultures of the earth- that Moon's attitude towards outsiders would have to change accordingly, but that was for the young girl to discover for herself. The Akala Island Guardian had every confidence that Moon would grow into a respectable Trainer of jaw-dropping power and ball-dropping beauty. This journey would be good for her, and it would give her room to grow on a very personal and individual level. She had learned all she could as Olivia's Protégé; now was the time for her to come onto her own and show the whole world what she could do.

With everything set in motion for Moon to begin her journey, the 14-year-old girl made her way out of the Ruins of Life and waved goodbye to Tapu Lele until she was merely a speck on the horizon. The Island Guardian beamed with pride, though she couldn't help but wonder if Moon's destiny was somehow intertwined with Ash's chosen Supreme Omnidony. By her rough estimates, Moon would make it to Melemele Island just in time to catch Sun getting his first Pokémon as well. Was that timing merely coincidence, or did Ash time it that way on purpose? Either way, she doubted Moon would be all that welcoming to the boy at first. "POOR BOY… HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT'S COMING. I CAN'T HELP FEELING SORRY FOR HIM." Tapu Lele commented aloud to herself, though the way she held her hand over her mouth while giggling quietly contradicted the idea that she was truly sympathetic quite spectacularly. It would be interesting to see how this all plays out.

XXXXX

"Nebby… get in the bag; we're heading out now." A slightly timid but angelic voice called from up in what appeared to be a loft, inside a run-down old building with several patched holes in the roof and a sandy beach outside it with the vast ocean in plain view. To the people who lived here… this place held its own kind of unique charm; even if the place was pretty much trashed it was home. This could only have been the laboratory of the famous Professor Kukui; one of two Professors in the Alola Region alongside Professor Samson Oak.

"Pew," Another voice responded in an adorably delighted coo, the being it belonged to obviously enjoying not being in the aforementioned bag.

"I know, I know, you don't like going in there… but Nebby, it's for the best if nobody sees you. Come on, I'll make it worth your while when we get back here. Now let's go, the Professor has asked us to go find the Kahuna and tell him we're ready with the three starters. We need to hurry if we're going to catch him in time." The voice tried reasoning, but the mysterious Nebby was having none of it as a tiny figure zipped down the ladder leading up into the loft… followed by the heftier sound of footsteps climbing their way down after it.

The first figure resembled a ball of cosmic-patterned fluff or cotton candy. Its adorable beady black eyes were alight with playful amusement as it shot away like a comet from the approaching second figure attempting to chase it down, effectively winning at its perceived game of hide-and-go-seek-tag. It found a rather lovely spot to lie down low… behind the sofa in the Professor's worn-down guest room. He could hear the second figure's approaching footsteps nearing his hiding spot, before it stopped abruptly at the front of the couch and listened.

"Oh dear, where oh where could my little Nebby be," the second figure asked in mock-perplexity, before a face revealed itself over the back of couch and two arms snatched Nebby from its little hidey-hole.

"Gotcha, you little rascal," Lillie giggled with adoration as she held Nebby close to her chest with one arm and poked him in the center of his body with her other hand's fingers over and over; laughing in delight as she effectively tickled him.

"Pew!" Nebby protested, squirming valiantly in an effort to escape the unbreakable grasp of his captor, but it was not to be as he accepted his fate and let Lillie subject him to all manner of torments.

Lillie smiled down at the little fluff-butt in her arms before finally deciding to show the poor guy a little mercy, and she withdrew her damnably deft, dexterous fingers and brought him up above her face. "Oh Nebby, what am I going to do with you, huh? You're lucky you're so cute you little troublemaker." Lillie teasingly admonished him, and Nebby could no longer resist the urge to smile down at her in return as the two of them shared a laugh and Lillie brought him in for a loving hug, nuzzling his face with hers as Nebby squealed in pure delight. He loved it when she did that.

"Okay, that's enough playing around now, alright? I was being serious before Nebby; you need to get in the bag." She said, and the look of pure betrayal he gave her after she stated that was enough to leave her in stitches.

"Oh, don't give me that look, you big drama king. It's only for a couple of hours, and I promise when we come home we'll play together all night; how does that sound?" Lillie asked, deciding that when all else failed, try and bargain with him.

Nebby made a sound that was suspiciously like that of a sound of acceptance, and he relented and got in the bag. "Uh, now that that's done, and that's not even the hard part; the trick is getting him to _stay_ in the bag. Alright Nebby, let's get going alright?" Lillie beamed down at her trusty duffle bag, where her favorite Pokémon in the cosmos laid tucked down all safe and cozy inside.

"Pew," he responded none-too-happily, though Lillie could tell she won him over with her little bribe earlier. For now at least, he would consent to her wishes. Professor Kukui was still getting ready with the starter Pokémon down in the basement, and it would be a while before he had everything sorted for the three new Trainers coming today including their passports.

Lillie knew about Hau of course; given that he was one of her closest friends and only just turned 11 last night he was getting his starter the first chance he got. Kukui also got a call this morning from Akala Island's Kahuna, saying that a promising Trainer named Moon had just received a Z-Power Ring with great historic value from Tapu Lele and was on her way to begin her journey at 14-years of age. Lillie wondered why the girl was starting so late, but when she thought about the fact that she was 15 and had yet to begin any sort of journey herself she stopped questioning it. From what she heard, Moon was something of a celebrity on Akala Island and was a direct descendent of its first ever Kahuna and one of the first Island Challenge Champions in the history of Alola. This ancient Kahuna of Akala was also the one who's Z-Power Ring Moon supposedly inherited. With such a rich heritage and deep connection to Alola's earliest history; Lillie had no doubt Moon would go far as a Trainer.

Finally, the third Trainer was a boy around her and Moon's age, and amazingly enough he was coming to their Region from all the way in far off Kanto. Lillie could only imagine he had to be feeling nervous and excited at the same time, and hoped they could be friends. Regardless, she wanted to make sure he felt welcomed; Alola was sure to be a place he wouldn't forget.

"The Professor said his name was Sun, and he showed his picture as well Nebby. He seems really nice and full of energy; I hope he's as nice in person as I'm imagining him to be, though I don't think it's really fair if I judge a near stranger if he doesn't live up to my expectations of him." Lillie blabbed and babbled in a nervous manner. She loved being the Professor's assistant, but she was worried she would leave a bad first impression on Sun and Moon. She hoped they could be friends like she and Hau were. Then again, Hau would be friends with anybody… the guy had to be the happiest, most positive-minded fellow she'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. Literally nothing ever got the boy down; Lillie often questioned how anyone _human_ could have that level of optimism, but it was likely to be a mystery that never got solved.

"Alright Professor, I'm heading out now alright? I've got Nebby safe and sound in the bag and I've got lots of max repels with me. I'll see you in Iki Town then?" Lillie shouted down to the Professor in the basement; she was raring to go but opted not to leave until she got a proper response from the man.

"Sure thing Lillie, I'll see you there. Be sure to let Hala know we're coming, and don't let Sun, Hau, and Moon make their decision prematurely. I plan to be there when they choose their starters, woo!" Kukui responded with a yell of childlike overexcitement. Lillie had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the Professor's childish disposition, but she managed a small smile as she sent him her assurance that she would do exactly that and made her way out the door into the dazzling afternoon Alola sun.

"Ah, fresh air; the ocean looks so blue today, and the weather is just perfect. It's beautiful here Nebby." Lillie commented with a contented stretching of her arms which subtly accentuated her chest and other curves. She had been told a select few times in recent years that she inherited her mother's otherworldly beauty, and it was one of the few relations to the woman Lusamine had become now that Lillie was secretly proud to have. At 15-years-old she was already sporting an enviable hourglass figure and a rather sizeable bust; not that she went to painstaking lengths to flaunt such assets, but she did occasionally display a bit of pride in this revelation. She wore a one-piece outfit of pure white that ended in a skirt just above her knees, and a straw hat of the same color covering her platinum-blonde hair and shielding her twinkling emerald eyes from the worst of Alola's sunlight.

"Pew, pew," Nebby commented from inside the bag, and Lillie grew an even bigger smile as she reached into another compartment of it and brought out a max repel. Proceeding to spray it all over herself and her clothes, Lillie felt her excitement building as she went out past the beach up to Route 1 north of the laboratory. Max Repel carried a special and overpowering scent that most if not all species of Pokémon hated; she didn't really understand the science behind it… but apparently it smelled different to each Pokémon according to what they found least appealing or appetizing. It was referred to as an olfactory misdirection or something. This particular brand of repellent was better than the other two variants in that its effects were more potent and lasted for even longer. She would probably already be in Iki Town by time it wore off, but even if it wore off beforehand she had a couple of others on hand just in case.

"Excuse me; are you interested in a battle?" A youngster Trainer suddenly got her attention with an eager look in his youthful eyes, and Lillie had to resist the urge to flinch at the very thought. She hated Pokémon battles; she never understood how any of them could be so okay with getting so beaten up… but for whatever reason certain Pokémon seemed to be a glutton for punishment, even more so when their Trainers were nice about it and rewarded them for their hard work. Lillie honestly believed it was the least those so called 'nice' Trainers could do; they should be on their knees praising their Pokémon profusely for being willing to put up with that abuse. Still, Lillie was the Professor's assistant and could respect Trainers well enough to keep her biting comments to herself. Arceus help her if Hau ever neglected his Pokémon in such a way, or even the other two new Trainers.

"Um, sorry… but I'm not a Trainer; I'm just running an errand for the Professor. I'm his assistant you see." Lillie informed the lad courteously. The kid couldn't have been older than 7 or 8, why in the world was a child so young allowed to order Pokémon around in battle for their own amusement? She shook her head mentally, trying to mask her features into a look of cool professionalism. She didn't miss the way the boy's eyes lit up at the mention of the Professor, and sighed when she realized he was going to keep her talking for a bit.

"That's awesome; you must know all about Pokémon moves then. What would you recommend for my Inkay? His current moves I've taught him so far are Tackle, Peck, Constrict, and Reflect, and his ability is Contrary." He informed her as Lille- true to her walking Pokémon encyclopedia persona- struck a thinking pose as she cast herself back to what she had read about Inkay and what moves they could learn.

"Well, I'd recommend teaching it how to learn its Egg Moves; if I remember correctly Inkay can learn some really neat moves at birth such as Simple Beam, Power Split, Destiny Bond, and even Guard Swap just recently." She informed him dutifully, like any good assistant should.

"Also, if you really want to make use of that Contrary ability of his, I'd recommend Superpower since that would raise his Attack and Defense instead of dropping them." She added with a smile… anything that would help this poor Inkay win battles more decisively without having to hurt his opponents unnecessarily or himself in longer, more drawn out fights was a plus in her book.

The kid looked up at her in confusion. "But miss, I thought egg moves could only be taught by breeding with certain parent Pokémon?" He asked for clarification, but Lillie shook her head.

"That's a common misconception and it used to be true; Pokémon always had the potential to learn all of their egg moves but couldn't access certain moves without being bred by a parent with such a move in their pool… but nowadays all the current generations of trained Pokémon are able to access their entire move pools without too much difficulty. All you really need is to train them up. Oh, and you could also make some use of the Move Tutor over by the beach on the other side of this Island… there may be a few moves they have that Inkay can't learn without insane amounts of training. Still, if you train your Pokémon enough they can learn every move they're compatible with without the need for any sort of outside tutelage. I also know that Pokémon champions and Masters can work with their Pokémon to learn entirely new moves with all sorts of neat affects; that could be where all the new techniques that had cropped up overnight came from." Lillie finished her lengthy tangent as the boy's head looked close to overloading with all this information, and she paused a moment when she saw him looking at her with a dazed expression.

"Hehe, sorry… I read a lot in my spare time." Lillie said; sweat dropping sheepishly as the boy nodded.

"Thank you miss, but I think Inkay and I would be better off figuring this all out on our own." The boy said, and Lillie couldn't help but smile.

"That's some fine initiative you got there; I may not like seeing Pokémon battle myself, but even I can tell you'll go far if you just trust in yourself and Inkay's potential." Lillie commented, and the boy beamed at her with pride.

With that out of the way, Lillie continued her trek through the Hau'oli outskirts and up past the beautiful house she knew the boy Sun and his mother were already moved into. She paused a moment when she saw a car parked in the open garage and no sign of the moving Machamp crew anywhere… wondering if they were already moved in fully.

"Say Nebby… do you think we have time to stop by for a visit and greet the new neighbors?" Lillie asked in a half-rhetorical fashion, though Nebby responded anyway in his usual form of communication.

Lillie shook her head at the silliness of the thought. "They're probably still unpacking everything, besides… I'm sure I'll see him soon. He's expected to pick up his starter Pokémon in just over an hour or so. Come on; let's keep going to Iki Town." She added once she thought it over; there would be plenty of time to introduce herself to the new Trainer and his mother. She made her way to Iki Town without any more Trainers bothering her, and she couldn't help but skip a little with each step she took as the excitement of meeting new people and sharing new experiences filled her mind. For one blissful day, she could almost forget about the fact that the Aether Foundation was after her and Nebby, and she did allow herself to be caught up in the moment for now. She had no idea today was the day her life would change forever, but even if she had she wouldn't have wanted to change what happened afterwards.

XXXXX

"Whew, that was… exhausting." Sun panted as he collapsed on his bed, having spent the last couple of hours helping his mom unpack as many boxes as they could manage. It was amazing to think they ever had this much stuff just stored away; some of it was even useful… though it brought a sad smile to his mother's face as a lot of it belonged to Sun's father. Sun secretly wondered if that was why his mother was so late to unpack this stuff; he found it odd how she couldn't bring herself to throw it all away yet also couldn't bear to look at it either. It wasn't doing either of them any good locked away in the box, but his mom did find thirty five thousand Pokedollars in cash as well as some Max Revives that were still before their expiration date as well as some useful breakable TMs from way back in the day in Kanto.

TMs were special discs containing the data for certain moves for certain Pokémon… back in the day when people's knowledge of Pokémon move pools were limited. They were designed to teach Pokémon specific and rare moves that would normally take years of training for them to learn on their own. Sun was pleasantly surprised to find TMs for moves like Rage, Self-Destruct, Metronome, and Mimic just lying in boxes unused, and still perfectly viable. His mother had said these would be perfect for his journey, and so put them away somewhere easily accessible for when Sun went on his journey. She also stashed the money away in some undisclosed location, and Sun wondered if she was planning on giving him his father's stuff for his journey. He couldn't help but smile at the thought; he would make damn sure he made use of the seemingly broken things his father just threw away and left behind… alone and forgotten.

For now though, his bed was warm and sleep beckoned him… so he closed his eyes and was out so fast he wasn't aware at first that he was dreaming until his surroundings completely changed before his eyes.

XXXXX

" _Where am I? I've never seen a place even remotely like this before; so how could I be dreaming about something I've never even pictured in my mind?' Sun's dream-self asked in an inquisitive tone._

" _Dreams are but another reality to some of us Sun; always remember that." Another voice called, one over-saturated with power and mystique as a figure appeared in the landscape of Sun's mind. They were standing in some sort of ruined world… like the kind one sees in a post-apocalyptic movie. There was a monstrous creature feeding on something in the distance, and they were standing on the side of a knocked-over skyscraper or some other type of huge building._

" _An interesting realization to come to isn't it? We all think our tiny little worlds can survive any adversity and every possible test of time… but then this happens. Everything we know and love… everything we are and worked so hard for… gone in the briefest of moments. Almost every culture in the Trans Omni Omega Omnisphere has some concept of the apocalypse but never seem to look at the end as anything more than the end of their planet. You may be surprised to know this, but worlds like this Ultra Ruin happen all the time. It's just… so intriguing." The figure commented in an inappropriately serene tone considering the circumstances. Sun looked around him in horror; the blood red sky and the shattered cities, the creature of nightmares feasting on the waste of humanity and Pokémon alike. There was no denying this was once a thriving civilization… but looking at it now, Sun realized this was no ordinary dream he was having._

" _This is… horrible; why am I even dreaming this up?" Sun asked himself more than the figure standing beside him. For some odd reason, Sun couldn't look directly at the figure… every time he tried he was blinded by some golden-white light that forced him to look away again._

" _As I said, dreams are but another reality…and this is the reality for many different worlds throughout the Totalities of Existence. Dreams are almost never just dreams Sun Elio… they can be omens good or bad, visions of potential or even absolute futures, memories from a life beyond the here and now via reincarnation, and so much more besides. They can be windows into other dimensions, alternatives, and parallels; much like what we're seeing now. The scientists of your world will always try to make sense of everything, but some things by nature just don't make any kind of sense whatsoever." The figure stated plainly, and Sun considered his words as he watched that creature continue feasting on whatever dirt or scrap metal it had collected. At least, he thought the figure was male… but he couldn't say for absolute certain._

" _Who are you?" He finally asked, sensing that this Entity was more than just a figment of his subconscious mind._

_The figure chuckled at his forwardness. "You know, I've already been asked that question today already, and I'll tell you what I told the first person who gave me the 411. It's impolite to ask my name without introducing yourself first." He responded, and Sun sighed in an exasperated tenor. His mom was always on him about remembering his manners, but being a teenager made him less inclined to acquiesce to her advice. Still, he realized he wouldn't get any of the answers he wanted unless he played nice first._

" _You already confirmed you know my name earlier, but I'll tell you anyways. My name is Elio, but everyone calls me Sun." He pointed out, and the figure guffawed._

" _That's right, I did, didn't I? It's funny the things that slip your mind, eh? And now to answer your question; I've been called many names throughout the ages and endless realities that make up the Trans Omni-Totalities. I've been called Appaneesty IC2, Ash Ketchum IC2, ZIC, God, Aslan, The One-Above-All, and even Arceus to name a few. You can call me Ash though; that's the name I go by these days." The now named figure responded, and Sun's eyebrow quirked._

" _You're Arceus? Yeah, right, and I'm the World Champion." Sun drawled sarcastically._

" _I'm not Arceus, though I have been mistaken for him and various other omnipotent entities throughout the ages." Ash explained, and Sun laughed incredulously._

" _Why should I believe you?" He demanded challengingly, and the Entity called Ash fired back a response rather quick for Sun's liking._

" _Not saying you have to yet, but the truth will reveal itself in good time. I'm here in this universe… because I have selected you as the best possible candidate and best alternative version of yourself in every Pokémon omniverse to name as your ultimate counterpart… Sun IC2. I should warn you however… that if you should choose to accept this rather heavily vaunted role there is no going back. You will have powers beyond your wildest dreams and most outlandish fantasies, and you will be able to train your Pokémon to a level beyond infinity itself, and all concepts of omnipotence. However, you will also have your own version of causation; you will attract dangers and foes equal to what you are capable of." Ash concluded his answer as the world around them tightened in response to something… Sun didn't know what it was, and it didn't make this strange man's explanation or this nightmarish dream world any less terrifying. If anything, it only seemed to amplify the fear factor. There was no way Ash could be telling the truth… was there?_

" _That's not possible, what you're saying cannot possibly exist!" Sun vehemently denied, unable to wrap his head around the enormity of Ash's statement._

" _Oh, my dear boy… you would be astounded beyond reason by what is actually possible." Ash insisted, and just like that Sun was driven out of his uneasy sleep by the sound of his mom's Kanto Meowth yowling at him to wake up_.

XXXXX

"Whoa!" Sun yelled as he fell off his bed and onto the unforgiving hard floor, his limbs tangled in the comforter as she squirmed to get out of it. His family's pet Meowth was staring up at him with a coy smile on his face, and Sun would've been more annoyed with him if he wasn't still reeling from the horrible nightmare he just had.

"Oh good, you're up… it's time for you to get going Sun; so hurry up and get ready alright?" His Mom called to him from over in the other room, and Sun groaned as he picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself off, placing his comforter and sheets back on his bed haphazardly. Once his brain caught up to what his mother said, his weird-ass lucid dream was suddenly the last thing on his mind as excitement once again took over.

"Hang on, I'm coming!" He shouted excitedly, grabbing his hat and bag off of the stand they had been hung up on and placing them on him before making it to the door in less than two bounds.

"You were out like a light for the past hour; unpacking all of those boxes must've really tuckered you out. You must be full of energy by now though huh; are you excited to meet some cool Alolan Pokémon?" his Mom asked him conversationally as Sun nodded and scarfed down a slice of buttered toast.

"Do you even have to ask?! Of course I am! I've been waiting for this moment my whole life!" Sun declared with exuberant passion, and his mom nodded happily and with a fond smile.

"You even neglected to go on a journey through Kanto first because you had your heart set on Alola, if I recall correctly. That was remarkably patient of you to hold off on a journey like that. Your father was definitely never this mature at your age." She stated, and Sun nodded in affirmation, trying to ignore the dull ache in his stomach as he thought about his father.

"Mmhmm, something about this Region was calling out to me mom; I know I've said this a million times but I can't explain it. You ever just have a feeling in your gut, or a compulsion to do something that was beyond reason?" Sun asked her, and she nodded with a small smile.

"Yes I have, a long time ago." She answered, and Sun wondered if that was the feeling she got when she met his father.

"Alright, off you go now; it might not be a bad idea for you to get out and see how friendly Alolan Pokémon are, right Sun? You're all ready to do a bit of exploring. You're sure you've got everything right; your bag, hat, and the TMs I left you from the old days back in Kanto?" She checked off a list of sorts as Sun nodded happily.

"Awesome, I guess that means you're ready for anything. But even so Sun, try to be careful when walking through the tall grass. Still, I have to admit I'd love to have a new Pokémon around. So why don't you head up toward Iki Town and see what you discover in Alola?" She recommended to him, and Sun grinned eagerly as he stood up from the breakfast table.

"Sure thing mom… oh man, this is really it isn't it?!" He asked in a daze, wondering if this was a dream due to the surrealism this situation presented. He'd been waiting his whole life for this, and now that it was really happening he was far too excited for words. Looking up at his mom, he saw her sad but proud smile as he went over to her and threw his arms around her.

"I love you mom." He whispered adoringly, and though she was surprised initially by this sudden bout of affection she returned the gesture with equal passion.

"I love you to… my dazzling, wonderful Sun." She whispered, and as she pulled away she was surprised to find him looking up at her with a tearful smile.

"I'll be sure to call you as much as I can, and I'll tell you everything about each new Pokémon I catch. I'll be sure to come back and visit; so don't you worry about a thing, alright? I'll be just fine on my journey mom." Sun said affectionately, and the woman nodded as she felt a weight lift off her chest. This was a proud yet heart-wrenching moment in every mother's life; the day their baby went off on their own journey of self-discovery was a huge milestone, and everybody had to take that first step at some point in their lives. She had done her absolute best to raise him right and to bring out the best of his father's qualities within him… because like it or not Sun was as much that man's child as he was hers.

"Listen, even though he left us I have to tell you something Sun. I don't hate your father; I mean… how could I? Hey may not have been a perfect dad or husband, but one way or another he gave me the best son I ever could've asked for. You've been the light of my life… my beautiful boy. Just… promise me that if you ever end up with a wife and kids someday that you'll do so at a stage in your life when you're ready to handle that kind of responsibility. I'm sure whoever you end up meeting on this journey of yours will be as touched by your boundless brilliance as I've been these past few years. Now go, your destiny awaits you Sun." His mom advised him, and Sun nodded as his mind soaked up this profound wisdom she was imparting on him. He smiled his best smile and flushed when he realized she considered him the best possible gift his father could've given her… that alone was proof enough he wouldn't end up like his old man. The whole nature vs nurture debate did have some merit after all.

"I won't… I promise, I'll never become like him; you've made sure of that." He promised her, and with everything that needed saying now already said… Sun made his way for the front door and paused at the handle for barely a moment before he turned the knob. He took his first step into his fledgling journey, and fought a manic grin as he stepped into the Alola sun just as it was beginning to set. The sky was painted a remarkable pinkish-orange, nothing like the blood red sky of his recent nightmare.

"Oh boy, what a wonderfully morbid thought that was." A voice remarked flippantly just outside the front gate to his house, and Sun spun to the source to see who it was. He was met with a fascinatingly iridescent golden-eyed stranger, with markings on both his cheeks resembling the letters ZIC and an inhumanly symmetrical tawny-gold tanned face with perfectly coiffed black hair. He wore a Master Ball-styled ball cap overtop of said hair and had a black cloak that was buckled to the front of his broad chest with some kind of white sphere. The sphere had the words AIC2 embroidered on it in an endless blend of multi-colors, and the man's face was split into a maddening grin of Cheshire Mew proportions.

"Okay, who the hell are you?" Sun practically demanded as the strange man leaned over his fence. The 14-year-old boy couldn't help but think the man sounded familiar, but wasn't about to entertain the thought of where he heard his voice before anytime soon.

"I believe I've already introduced myself to you Sun Elio; though I guess I can understand you still thinking of me as a figment of your imagination. You did meet me in your dreams after all." The man answered, mad grin seemingly perpetually in place as Sun's synapses fired repeatedly and threatened to overload with the amount of mind-fucking information they were being forced to transmit.

"This… can't be real!" He whispered in a daze as he started feeling dizzy, teetering slightly as he collapsed in the front lawn.

"Everything is real; fiction and non-reality are illusions of the parochial mind. There is always so much more to existence than you humans imagine." The man blithered; his words flying right over Sun's head as the boy sat there in stunned silence. Everything he experienced in that nightmare… really happened? What in the hell was going on here?!

"Why are you doing this to me?" Sun asked the man in a trembling voice, and Ash's expression softened.

"I'm not doing anything to you Sun. I made you an offer, remember? And I want you to honestly think about it. I've got time, I can wait forever for you to make a decision if need be." He answered in a surprisingly gentle voice. Sun stared at the man in confusion, racking his brain in an effort to remember any sort of offer being made.

"I'm sorry, but can you tell me what the offer was again? It kinda got lost in all the technobabble." Sun asked him in as polite a tone as he could manage.

"My apologies for that… I get longwinded when I get on a roll. Allow me to reiterate my statement from before; I want you to become your IC2 counterpart, and to give you the powers of a Supreme Omnidony." He said back, and Sun scratched his head in confusion… that brought up more questions than it answered.

"What for, I mean… what's the point? I don't understand why you're just offering me this right out of the blue." The boy couldn't help but say.

"Because I have seen your potential and the Trainer you will become one day. My kind are the rarest of all pantheons, and reincarnating certain privileged humans as one of our own allows us to bolster our numbers against the common enemy of both Zenith Omnidonae and mortal sentient beings alike." Sun's eyes narrowed as Ash told him this, suspicious of his intentions now.

"What common enemy? You never mentioned an enemy before now." He demanded, wanting answers, and Ash nodded before launching into a brief explanation.

"He's called ZIC2, and he's one of the first Supreme Omnidonae to forever exist just as I am. He's also my antithesis and the bane of my very existence. He seeks to undo all I have made as the progenitor of the three Trans Omni-Totalities and the ZOF itself." He briefly elucidated.

"Why, I mean… why is he so against the idea of you creating all things?" Sun continued his 411, still not believing the madman 100 percent… though the thought of becoming so powerful did intrigue him just a little.

"Because I've grown to care for all of my creations in recent years- with a little help from a very special lady friend of mine- and all he cares for is destroying every aspect of my life and unraveling everything I worked so hard for. I put a lot of thought and effort into making all of this you know… and I won't see all of that creativity on my part be laid to waste. You can help me with that… or not; the choice is entire your own, but I want you to at least think about it. I'm offering you a chance to become part of something greater than you will ever know… but I don't wish to deceive you Sun. If you do sign onto this you do so forever more… there is no going back once the decision is made." Ash said lengthily, and Sun blushed at the information this man gave him regarding that lady friend of his. He was at the age now where anything mushy or romantic would get him flustered… but he wouldn't deny that he held a certain appreciation for the fairer sex as well underneath the embarrassment.

"Can I… get back to you on that? I'm still even 100 percent sure I even believe you, for that matter." Sun requested, and Ash nodded with an empathetic smile on his face.

"Of course, though I may be able to do something to fix that skepticism of yours. Is there any power I could demonstrate to you that might validate my claims in your eyes? I guarantee you I have them all." Ash promised him as Sun pondered the question in his head.

"What happened to the whole 'though shalt not test thy Lord Arceus' rule?" He questioned, and Ash actually burst into hilarity at that.

"I'm the truth behind every creation story in every reality; I'm not Arceus, I am the one true God and progenitor of all things. If I say I don't require you to follow any such dumbass commandments, then who are you to question it?" Ash replied jokingly, and Sun had to admit this guy had a pretty good sense of humor for a supposed reality-bending Deity. It was at this moment that he thought of a power Ash could demonstrate that would suffice.

"Can you give me every Legendary Pokémon from other regions including Arceus?" Sun asked, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice and maintain his façade of skepticism.

"Dude, I was already going to give you every Pokémon not indigenous to Alola when I gave you your powers; think of something else." He stubbornly stated, and Sun furrowed his eyebrows and tried to think of something else.

"Can you transform into an Arceus?" He finally settled on, and Ash smiled and rolled his eyes before he began to glow with a blinding golden light. Sun was gobsmacked when a massive equine being stood in the same place Ash had been standing in before.

"Holy shit! But wait… I thought Arceus was mostly white not gold in coloration, or is the image on the Pokedex wrong?!" Sun started bouncing up and down like a caffeinated child, running up to the floating God of Pokémon and taking in his awe-inspiring presence.

' _He is typically, but I've gone the extra mile and decided to use his shiny form_.' Ash's voice sounded, in Sun's own head as the teenaged boy vaulted backwards in shock.

"This is amazing… can you like, do everything Arceus can do now?! What moves can Arceus even use?!" Sun gasped in pure, rampant astonishment.

' _Yes I can, and more on top of it. I can even use punching moves if I wanted… which Arceus sorely lacks the capacity to do in most of his forms. As for your other question; Punishment, Gravity, Perish Song, Extreme Speed, and Swords Dance to name a few… his signature move is known as Judgement, and can change types to match Arceus's_.' Ash telepathed to him, his voice again resounding in Sun's mind as the kid looked up at him with eyes wide and pupils dilated.

Ash smiled at the boy's childlike wonder before reverting back to his human form and ushering Sun onward. "You should probably get moving to Iki Town to receive your starter Pokémon. You can decide on this later; take as much time as you need." He instructed him as Sun nodded and turned to go, before he paused and thought about every mind-numbing revelation Ash had made.

"But wait, if I should decide I'm content with my mundane, generic, normal life… what will happen to the people like you with this ZIC2 running amok? Could I really make any sort of difference?" Sun asked him in a serious tone, believing the man to have great powers now… but not believing for a second that he was the best potential candidate in this entire world for the prestigious role Ash was bestowing onto him.

The look on Ash's face made Sun feel completely humbled in his presence… it was the look of a man, or a God who was somehow the epitome of infinite wisdom and yet was still learning himself. "Countless eternities of Trans Omni-Omniversal time and space, and you know what I've learned Sun? One person can make all the difference in the world, with or without powers. You don't need to be indestructible to be a hero, or a champion." He said with infinite profoundness, though Sun still felt a little unsure of his decision, and whether he would make the right one in the end.

"But say I could've made a difference in all this for whatever reason…" Sun began, but Ash interrupted him.

"Then I would just have to make do without you, uncountable realities beyond your own would have to make do. You don't owe anyone anything Sun, and you never did; if you wish to remain as a human… I will of course respect your decision, and will do everything in my power to ensure all others do to. Though I won't repudiate you'd be denying so much potential to the greater worlds beyond… and you'd be denying yourself of a life of absolute grandeur as well, but this life isn't for everyone Sun. Now, off you pop… and take your time to think this decision through, and make sure you weigh all of your options very carefully. This is the moment… everything begins for you." Ash finished answering Sun's question, and then he was just gone. Sun blinked a couple of times to ensure he truly disappeared into thin air… but when Ash stayed gone his pupils dilated once again.

"Oh my God, he used Teleport." He remarked, with an incredulous shaking of his head as he smiled. At least Ash had reassured him they'd make do without him… even if he was content with his life in the Pokémon world alone. One thing was for sure as Sun made his way to Iki Town up Route 1 to get his starter Pokémon… he had a lot of things to consider, and a decision to weigh that would affect not only his life forever more, but the lives of untold countless civilizations on top of his own world. The friends he would make; his family… this decision would forever haunt his thoughts even after he already made it, and he would always wonder about what would've happened had he made the opposite decision, the one he didn't make. No matter what he chose, his path in life would be forever altered either way. All and all, it was too much pressure for his 14-year-old mind to properly handle, and he knew it would be a while before he settled on a proper decision.


	2. Chapter 2: The Pokémon Grandmaster and the Girl Who Ran Away

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything; nor do I make any profit off this whatsoever._

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon: The Birth of a Pokémon Grandmaster

Book 1: The Trans Omni Omega Omnisphere's Brightest Sun

Chapter 2: The Pokémon Grandmaster and the Girl Who Ran Away

Moving to the Alola Region had been a lifelong dream of Sun's… for reasons he could never put a finger on. Was it his mother encouraging the move because she wanted to get away from the father and husband who left them for Team Rocket? Was it because Sun honestly had nothing he'd rather be doing in Kanto? Or was it because of something… more?

"An interesting thought isn't it… wondering what higher form of consciousness compels us to make the life-altering decisions that we make, and then we wonder if it is something drawing us in, or some _one_. People talk about premonition like it's something strange, but it's not… it's just remembering in the wrong direction." The mysterious Entity known as AIC2 stated as he appeared once again when Sun was least expecting him; joining him on his slow trek up Route 1 to take in all the flowers and natural wonders. Sun nearly fell over with shock and spluttered with a start.

"Dude… you scared the crap out of me!" He shouted, clutching his chest in order to help calm his rapidly palpitating heart. AIC2, or Ash, or whatever… had the courtesy to look sheepish.

"Sorry… I couldn't help commenting on your thought process." He admitted as Sun shook his head in exasperation. He still couldn't fully bring himself to believe that this person was everything he claimed to be; even when he transformed into a fucking Arceus right in front of him- Sun was still reeling from that by the way- it was still pretty out there. Still, the fact that this man could apparently read his thoughts was a bit unnerving.

"So, I take it you're not going to leave me alone until I give you an answer then…" Sun conversationally said, and AIC2 shrugged.

"It's up to you; if you want time to yourself to think I don't mind keeping my distance. I just thought you'd like to know some answers; I may even be able to help you pick which starter you want or give you some suggestions on things… I'll even remain selectively imperceptible to everyone else's senses so that only you can see, hear, or smell me, etc." He replied, and Sun shook his head after taking a moment to decide what he wanted.

"Nah, you can stick around; that's fine man… and I guess I do have some questions." He admitted.

"We can talk about it on the way to Iki Town if you like." Ash suggested pleasantly, and Sun nodded in agreement; that sounded like a good plan. So, they walked the first stretch of Sun's Pokémon Journey together; which felt oddly fitting to Sun for reasons he couldn't fathom. Maybe there was some merit to this whole pre-destiny talk after all; maybe some part of him was aware that his life as one of these Super Gods or whatever could've been great. Maybe it was whatever force brought him here to Alola, or maybe it was simply a combination of both.

"So, who would you pick as your Alola Starter?" Sun couldn't help but wonder, and to his surprise Ash chuckled.

"Well, technically, I have all three of them at their final evolutionary stages and every other fully evolved starter as well; I try not to play favorites with my roster, but if you want the most competitively viable choice I'd pick Litten. Access to both physical and special attack boosting moves in both Swords Dance and Nasty Plot; along with Flame Charge for boosting his otherwise underwhelming natural speed tier… not to mention sturdy defenses, natural stamina, and even access to moves like Power Trip, you can really tear into your opponents Team Members regardless of type matchups. I can't tell you the number of times I've had Incineroar kick some ass with that Power Trip combo alone. A few Swords Dance boosts on top of some Flame Charges and he's pretty much set to sweep almost anything." AIC2 explained lengthily, surprising Sun with his wealth of knowledge about Pokémon Battles.

"Damn… you must be really good in the battling circuit!" He exclaimed, whistling appreciatively as he considered implementing that very same strategy with his own Litten, which did sound pretty cool.

"Power Trip is a move that multiplies its power for every stat boost a Pokémon has on top of the power that comes with his offensive stat boosts themselves. I've heard about it and even seen it used on occasion. When I lived in Pallet Town; there wasn't much to do and I didn't have any kids my age that I could be friends with, so I tended to hyper focus on the competitive battling circuit and the Regional and World Champion League Tournaments." Sun added in a neutral tone; seeing a Murkrow flying overhead and circling around the Route with practiced ease.

"Yes, and for that very reason it is quite possibly the most powerful Dark-type Move one can use; able to easily sweep most opposing teams with just two or three Swords Dances powering it up… I guess that's why I like the Litten Line's move pool so much; they're just more balanced and versatile than the Popplio and Rowlet Lines in my opinion. You are most welcome to choose Litten to Sun, but I guess time will tell which choice you make; I may even arrange to provide you with the two starters you didn't choose on top of the other Pokémon I plan to give you if you should accept my offer." Ash replied in a cheerful, merry tone.

"What's it like?" Sun wondered, his voice barely under a whisper. He was surprised when Ash's face darkened slightly.

"I don't really know to be honest; I have nothing to compare it to. This is the only life I've ever really known, and having these powers is almost like breathing now. I don't really think about it all that much; other than the fact that I was one of the first of my kind and believed I was completely unique and alone for the longest time.

Given that I was born this way; I wasn't sure what would happen if I made others like me… however, my Pokémon managed to talk me into giving them augmentations to their abilities that are on the same level as my own, and I guess I've just wanted to be the one true Pokémon Grandmaster ever since. I would've spent countless eternities alone if it was not for them, and I can never repay them for the companionship they've given me. Since then, my race has grown exponentially in numbers, and we even have a leader among us that has done more for our race than I could ever hope to achieve, but I have yet to choose another Pokémon Trainer to possess powers like mine. Well, other than my mate Yellow and our de facto leader anyways, and technically the latter was given his powers by Yellow herself on my instruction; so I wasn't actually there to witness his rise to power." Ash said back to him as Sun blushed at the use of the word mate to describe this Yellow. Something about it seemed so much more powerful, and primordial than simply calling her his girlfriend or even his wife. He recovered quickly however, and beamed at the older man walking behind him… seeming content to let Sun set the pace.

"I'm glad you have someone like this Yellow in your life; you sound like you could've really used her companionship." He replied, and Ash nodded in accord.

"She's been a very positive influence on me in many respects; I was a very different person before I met her. I was broken, and alone, and she was the only person capable of seeing past my faults at the time; I wouldn't be the person I am today without her." He admitted in a humbled tone as Sun smiled. He was somewhat envious of Ash for sharing such a strong connection with his mate; the 14-year-old boy wondered if he would ever find someone like that to share such a connection with also. He was something of a hopeless romantic in recent years, and with his mom raising him on how to treat the opposite sex he liked to think he was pretty good with girls; not that he's met too many his age back in Pallet Town.

The older sister of Blue Oak was a neighbor of his and an old family friend, and despite being at least 10-years-older than him; Sun found Daisy to be breathtakingly beautiful. Growing up in the same town that Red was raised in; people were often surprised when Sun expressed no immediate desire to go on a journey through Kanto and try to live up to Red's legacy, but he was set in his ways well before he reached the age of 10. His train of thought grinded to a screeching, tumultuous halt when he happened upon a rather large patch of waist-high grass blocking the path in front of him; he turned to Ash in the hopes that he could summon one of his Pokémon to keep the wild ones off their backs, but was displeased to find the mysterious man had once again vanished without warning.

"Crap… he picked a lousy time to pull a vanishing act." He grumbled with displeasure; his body tensing when some deeply ingrained, primal instincts alerted him to the fact that something or someone was watching him. He saw rustling in the bushels of grass in front of him, and his heart jolted with a rush of adrenaline when he saw a Pokémon he didn't know the name of walking out to greet him in a not so friendly manner.

"Yaah…" It hissed in a slightly intimidating manner as Sun audibly swallowed in a nervous manner. It wasn't a terribly large Pokémon but its creepy facial expression showed razor-sharp teeth and Sun knew better than anyone that all Pokémon could be extremely dangerous, no matter the size. He was just considering whether to make a run for it when something else happened and three new Pokémon hit the scene before he could properly register what was happening. These Pokémon were ones he recognized from his studies of Alola and he was relieved when they didn't exude the same hostile intentions towards him. They were the rare starters, and they stood between him and the wild, rodent-like Pokémon that had likely been attempting to bite him; forming a defensive barrier between him and his would-be attacker.

Sun immediately breathed a sigh of relieved gratitude as he recognized the sure signs of a protective stance; the three starters forming a shielding circle around him and staring the wild one down at varying levels of intensity. The standoff continued for several tense moments as the three starters leveled some surprisingly unnerving glares at the grass dweller; finally ending when the latter realized it had gotten more than it bargained for and with an annoyed yip it sauntered back into the tall grass.

The Pokémon who had rushed out to save Sun all grew a relieved smile and turned around to face him as the danger passed; providing the hapless teenager with a proper look at Alola's own Litten, Rowlet, and Popplio all at the same time. It didn't take long for Sun's initial fright to transition into delight as Litten mewled while Rowlet hooted at him and Popplio barked; all expressing happiness at having helped him in their respective variants of Pokespeech.

"Thanks so much you guys; I would've gotten a great, big chunk bitten out of me if you hadn't shown up." Sun told them all with an appreciative gesture; prompting a self-satisfied smile from Litten and a sheepish blush from the other two.

"Oho there Cousin; looks like we got here just in time, woo!" An instantly recognizable voice exclaimed from behind Sun; the 14-year-old spinning around on his heels with a slight start to see Professor Kukui strolling up to him with an easy-going smile on his face. Litten, Rowlet, and Popplio all came to stand beside him as Sun nodded in accordance.

"Good to finally meet you face to face Sun my man. Welcome to the Alola Region; that was quite an intense situation there, wasn't it?" Kukui conversationally asked him.

"Yeah, I was pretty rattled for a minute there; luckily, these three helped me out at the last possible second." Sun admitted without shame. He'd never had an issue admitting when he was afraid, and this was one such occasion where he was indeed just that… especially since his supposed guide in all of this randomly decided to take a hike.

"Yeah, I can imagine it would be a nerve-wracking experience for a first-timer. Alola is full of Pokémon waiting in the tall grass, the oceans, caves, and many other environments as well… many of them waiting to come out of their hidey-holes and bite you or execute some other kind of attack. Thankfully, these three here sensed the potential danger of that Yungoos; that's probably why they rushed out to save you. Pokémon are the most dependable partners one can have, and I reckon you're beginning to understand that better now to!" Kukui exclaimed like an overexcited child as Sun smiled and chuckled; the three starters responding to the Professor's statement in their own unique ways.

"For all my time spent watching Pokémon battles on the television back home; it's so much more thrilling to see all this with my own two eyes." Sun agreed delightedly, and Professor Kukui nodded as he got an idea. Sun couldn't very well proceed through this patch of grass without a Pokémon to aid him in battle, and he knew that Hala was planning on giving each of these Pokémon to Sun, Hau, and that Trainer Moon respectively anyways.

"Since we're both already out here, and since you'd be ill advised to venture into tall grass without a Pokémon… why don't we take the time to get you acquainted with your new partner here and now? Here in Alola… we have these three Pokémon for first-time Trainers to choose for their starters." Kukui explained to him as Sun nodded with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Popplio is the Water-type, Rowlet is the Grass-type, and Litten is the Fire-type; I did a fair amount of research on Alola before moving here, though I don't know everything and I'm glad for it to be honest. I feel like knowing everything beforehand would subtract from the experience of it for me." Sun replied as Kukui nodded.

"An excellent way of looking at it, woo! So, which starter are you going to choose then Sun?" Kukui asked him as the three of them lined up and made a series of poses to try and make themselves look more enticing. Rowlet preened his feathers in a showful manner, Popplio did a series of claps with his fins while standing upright on his lower body, and Litten got into a pouncing position and swiped at the air with his sharp claws. Sun took a moment to ponder; remembering AIC2's words of advice but not wanting them to be the only reasoning for his decision.

His eyes scrutinized and examined both Rowlet and Popplio just as carefully as the Fire-type; attempting to gauge how well they might work together based upon their looks and personality. Finally, his eyes landed on Litten, and their eyes locked as the teenager got a good look at the oranges of his irises; the sun-like intensity of his gaze. Sun himself was a sucker for Pokémon who burned bright like the sun, and who better to burn hot and intense than a fire-type like Litten? Even before AIC2 pointed out Litten's strengths; Sun knew who he would've picked regardless.

"I choose Litten." He decided, and Kukui nodded with a gleeful grin as the other two Pokémon politely stepped towards the side and let Sun crouch down to the fire cat. They weren't too shaken up by his choice; given that they were both going to two equally respectable Trainers from what they heard. Rowlet in particular was excited; having had a small rivalry with Litten ever since they both hatched and wanting to prove that Grass-types could beat a Fire-type. He hoped his Trainer felt the same way; whoever they were. Popplio didn't have a rivalry with either of the other two and mostly kept to himself; practicing with his water balloons and content to end up with any of the three no matter who they were.

Sun could barely contain his euphoria as Litten accepted his embrace with a loving mewl; nuzzling into his cheeks while softly purring as the now official Trainer picked him up. "I can't believe it! I'm finally a Pokémon Trainer; let's show the entire world what we can do, okay Litten? You and I are going straight for the top!" Sun exclaimed excitedly as Litten meowed his agreement… his eyes closing in a contented smile.

"Excellent, Litten is a fine choice Sun; would you like to give Litten a nickname?" Kukui wondered, and Sun shook his head. He knew some Trainers liked doing that, but he wasn't one of them. Kukui smiled in acceptance of his answer, and clapped jovially as he returned both Popplio and Rowlet to their Pokeballs.

"Alright, then we're off to Iki Town; here's Litten's Pokeball." The Professor added as he handed Sun the iconic red and white sphere which the younger man clipped to his belt that his mom gave him. With that taken care of, they were both off along with Litten; whom Sun was content to keep outside of his Pokeball for a while and get to know him better. Kukui didn't seem to mind either, though he did look slightly surprised by Sun not returning him for the time being; then again… he was probably just excited to have his first Pokémon. Kukui could remember the day he first got his own starter; his Primarina inside his Pokeball inside the Professor's own lab coat… shrunken down to fit inside better. If anyone could understand Sun's excitement, it was the Professor.

"I'm guessing you're not going to return Litten to his Pokeball then?" Kukui asked in a knowing tone, and Sun nodded in affirmation while Litten mewled happily; glad he got to stay outside and accompany his new Trainer for a bit. The two of them and the Professor could see various Pokémon stirring in the tall grass; everything from Yangoose to Grubbin and some Pikipek, though Sun himself didn't recognize what species they were as of yet. His eyes widened in awe when he could've sworn he saw a familiar Pichu, but it was gone before he could get a good luck, and upon stepping into the tall grass to chase after it; one of the Yungoos from before immediately moved to attack Litten.

According to Sun's years of research; wild Pokémon were oftentimes jealous of caught Pokémon and would quite frequently attack them on sheer principle. Trainers were no safer from being attacked either; Pokémon were dangerous and capable of highly destructive power, which is why it was so imperative a Trainer not go into the tall grass without a domesticated starter of their own to bolster their defenses.

"Litten, um… Professor; what attacks does he know?" Sun asked while commanding Litten to dodge the Yangoose's continuous attempts to tackle him. The esteemed Professor struck a thinking pose and had a moment of inspiration as he remembered Litten's current move set.

"Currently Litten only knows three moves; Scratch, Ember, and Growl… I considered helping them learn some new ones but the Kahuna forbade it, saying that I wasn't supposed to interfere on behalf of these Pokémon's future Trainers." Kukui explained quickly, and Sun nodded as he managed to narrowly dodge another tackle attack aimed at both him and Litten.

"Thanks Professor, that's all I needed to know!" Sun exclaimed excitedly; oversaturated with manic levels of glee at the prospect of fighting his first ever wild Pokémon battle. There were some other wild Pokémon milling about all around them; though they were keeping their distance and letting Yungoos take the first crack at the newbie Trainer. A particular Grubbin watched the battle to happen in front of him and took a special interest in the first-time battler; though he was further in the patches of tall grass and couldn't really be seen, he could see what was going on.

"Here it comes Sun; get in there and show that Yungoos what it's all about, woo!" Kukui whooped with boundless excitement to match Sun's own; cheering from the sidelines as Sun and Litten began getting more in sync and the lithe feline gracefully dodged every attempt by the little mongoose Pokémon to tackle it.

"Use Ember!" Sun commanded; knowing that a fire-type move used by a fire-type Pokémon would be stronger and do more damage than a simple Scratch attack. Litten gave a loud caterwaul as he leaped several feet into the air above Yungoos and unleashed a small torrent of flaming orbs no bigger than Sun's baby finger. But it was hot enough and fast enough to do the trick, striking the Yungoos with semi-combustible precision and sending it down for the count with swirls for eyes.

Litten landed on the ground deftly in front of their first defeated opponent, and proceeded to groom himself after a job well down as Sun hoisted him up into the air with cheer and celebrated his first ever victory in a Pokémon battle, however small; hoping that there would be many more victories to follow. While initially annoyed with Sun for interrupting him in the middle of his bath; Litten couldn't help getting swept up in the excitement as well, and his Trainer's enthusiasm was infectious. Not only that, but he could feel his strength, energy, and overall power increasing ever so slightly thanks to the experience gained from beating his first real opponent; the play fights he sometimes had with both Rowlet and Popplio didn't count in his books.

"WE DID IT! You were awesome Litten, and so fast and agile; I can't believe how high you jump! That was so cool, and you were awesome!" Sun continued screaming praises at him as Litten soaked up all the love and adoration his Trainer showered him with, feeling an embarrassed blush coming on. Sun was certainly generous with his praises; a fact that reminded Litten he would need to keep his own ego in check if his Trainer continued to compliment him in such a flattering manner.

Professor Kukui applauded them both as Sun and Litten both calmed down a little bit; the Regional Professor beside himself with bliss as he addressed them both. "Congratulations, the both of you! One's first victory in battle is a huge milestone in the journey of any Trainer and starter Pokémon alike; you've both taken your first steps towards achieving your loftiest of ambitions, and you're both off to a great start as well. You commanded Litten well despite it being your first time Sun, but remember there's still a long way to go, and merely watching something happen on TV doesn't compare to the real deal." Kukui advised them both as Sun nodded understandingly; appreciating his words of insight and wisdom as Litten resumed grooming himself while in his Trainer's arms.

The Yungoos had taken the opportunity to take off while Sun and Litten had been distracted by their win, but the two of them didn't mind since neither of them had any Pokeballs anyways. Kukui smiled as he keenly observed their surroundings and got Sun and Litten's attention. "Look you guys; the other wild Pokémon currently present were watching you two as well, and some of them look a bit eager to battle you as well. You should take advantage of this opportunity and get some more experience by battling together." Kukui advised them as Sun nodded gleefully and he and Litten got ready as a unit; they began to walk through the tall grass which any Trainer knew was the unspoken challenge of combat all wild Pokémon waited for.

There was tall grass and other such Pokémon-filled environments all over the world; in the caves you could actually be swarmed by a mob of Zubat, and in places like Viridian Forest one had to be careful they didn't get ganged up on by a hive of Beedrill. Being attacked by a group didn't have to apply to one species however; many different Pokémon of various species were willing to work together to defend their homes, and some of them were willing to gang up on Trainers as well.

Sun had heard about something called SOS Battles here in Alola; a system where various Pokémon were able to call for aid from others of their own species and even evolved members of their evolutionary line, some even called other species and evolutionary lines entirely. The amount of experience a Trainer could gain from an SOS battle with the Chansey and Blissey line was incredible, and Sun looked forward to seeing for himself how this method of battling worked. From what he read, it wasn't actually known where the summoned Pokémon came from, and eyewitnesses reported that they literally just appeared as though conjured by thin air; it was an extremely mysterious phenomenon, and only Pokémon in Alola could implement it.

The chain of Pokémon that could appear during an SOS Battle were also seemingly endless unless the Trainer ran away or knocked out all the Pokémon currently summoned onto the battlefield in one go. It sounded a bit like horde battles in places like Hoenn or Kalos- where dozens or even hundreds of the same Pokémon could swarm a Trainer from Arceus knows where- but with distinct differences as well.

Sun was brought out of his reverie by the next set of wild Pokémon deciding to attack him as a team, and he and Litten got to work once again as another Yungoos and some flying-type bird Pokémon he didn't recognize both double-teamed him and Litten at the same time.

About 10 minutes later after a grueling 2-on-1 battle; an exhausted Litten was returned to his Pokeball as Sun and Kukui made it through the large series of tall grass patches, but Sun was all smiles as they made their way up the hill… feeling like he just won the lottery. He and Litten had battled extremely well against that Yungoos and Pikipek together, and managed to defeat both after dodging and counter-attacking exhaustively; the double experience powering up Litten enough to learn the new moves Lick and Work Up… which was a damn useful stat booster that they could make really good use of. Kukui of course, took it all in stride and let Sun and Litten battle to their heart's content; willing to wait a while since Moon had yet to show up for her Pokémon and Hau was still up in Iki Town where he lived.

"Man, I can't wait; I've always loved the idea of battling, but I never thought the real deal could be such a rush!" Sun exclaimed like a junkie tripping out on his favorite brand of hallucinogenic drug.

"Something tells me you will go far in the battling circuit Sun; not many aspiring trainers are as naturally adept in that field as you seem to be." Kukui remarked pleasantly, and Sun flushed sheepishly at the unexpected praise.

"I've wanted to win the World Championship Tournament and become the number one Pokémon Master of all time since before I could walk." He admitted, and Kukui grinned with approval.

"That's some fine initiative you've got there, woo!" He exclaimed, and Sun sweat-dropped awkwardly; finding the man's tendency to overuse his signature exclamation a tad strange, but he didn't mind so much.

"Heads up there Sun, Litten… we're closing in on Iki Town." Kukui pointed out, and Sun nodded while Litten listened and watched what was going on around him from within his Pokeball; noticing that his natural recovery from things like fatigue after a long day were quicker to wear off now that he gained some experience. He already felt marginally refreshed even in the few moments since he and his new Trainer beat that tag-teaming duo of wild Pokémon together.

He knew Pokémon of all kinds were able to grow in every battle they fought, and the amount of growth he underwent would depend on his overall power and the power of the Pokémon he was fighting with, but actually experiencing what that continual growth and perpetual self-improvement felt like first hand was something else. He didn't feel like he could take on the world and win yet, but he had a feeling a couple of more years and lots of experience gain would slowly bridge the schism between his current self and his badass, futuristic world-conqueror.

Sun grew excited as he ran on ahead of the Professor; Kukui momentarily distracted by one of the Route 1 Trainers asking him for advice on what moves to teach his Pokémon, but the older man quickly reassured him and was once again trailing the enthusiastic teenager after a few short seconds. "Alright! We're almost there Litten! I wonder what sort of people and Pokémon we'll meet next!" Sun exclaimed excitedly, his starter sharing his sentiments from inside the Pokeball as they neared the front gate to Iki Town; which lead up a flight of stairs. Sun paused a moment as something caught his interest from the corner of his eye.

There were a couple of inexperienced Trainers milling about that Sun could see, but they were over in the opposite direction of where he was headed and he was content with Litten's growth and training for the time being. The 14-year-old teenager took in the wonders of nature that literally were in his own backyard, and he allowed himself a moment to drink everything in like a dying man in the desert heat. It was absolutely invigorating to be standing here with his Pokémon for the first time. He felt on top of the world, and wondered to himself if he would ever be able or willing to let this feeling of elation go; the offer Ash IC2 made to him earlier suddenly felt a lot more enticing as his sense of endless fun and adventure kicked in.

Sun finally came back down to Earth and maintained his grin the whole time while he started to head up closer towards the stairway to Iki Town. He paused once again when he saw a slightly younger boy than himself of about 11 or 12-years of age rushing down the stairway in the opposite direction; heading straight towards Sun himself with an excitable, close-eyed smile on his face.

Said eyes opened upon seeing Sun standing there to reveal grey peepers looking up at him excitedly; the boy's hair dark green and standing on end as he folded both of his hands behind his head in a laid back manner. He wore an orange floral-pattern shirt and a dark tee-shirt with an orange backpack.

"Hey, hey! Which Pokémon are you gonna choose as your partner?! Have you decided?" He asked Sun suddenly.

"Um…" The older teenager awkwardly implied; not sure who this kid was or why he was randomly talking to him without giving him any context. The green-haired boy seemed to realize this as well; because he sweat dropped in a sheepish manner.

"Oh yeah! I'm Hau!" He said, finally introducing himself as Sun reached out to shake his proffered hand.

"Call me Sun; everyone else does." He replied courteously as the now introduced Hau nodded gleefully.

Kukui could be seen walking towards them with both the other starters in tow; an amused expression on his face as he watched the two younger males interact.

"Nice to meet ya Sun; sorry for being so out-of-nowhere, I couldn't wait for us to pick our starters together, so I came to find you myself!" Hau explained what he was doing here and why as Sun nodded understandingly; though he felt somewhat bad for the younger boy because he already had Litten's Pokeball clipped to his belt.

"I get that, but I kind of already have my starter…" Sun admitted somewhat regretfully; though in his defense he didn't have much choice as there were wild Pokémon running amok all over the entire Route and Kukui seemed to think it best for him to have some means of fighting back.

Hau's look became nonplussed as he bent over slightly to examine the shrunken down Pokeball, and reared back up to his full height with a pout etched on his face.

"Aww, why'd you go and pick your starter without me dude?! What if I wanted the Pokémon you chose?!" Hau whined slightly, and Sun was just about to explain when Kukui walked up to them and beat the 14-year-old fledgling Trainer to it.

"Yeah, sorry about that Hau; we kind of had an incident along the way. The wild Pokémon on this Route sure are lively, and they weren't going to let Sun make his way past them without a fight! It was so exhilarating seeing their spirit!" Kukui explained, and Hau's pouty face transitioned into an understanding smile so fast that Sun nearly got whiplash.

"That's okay, I wasn't actually bothered by it; I guess you and Litten were just fated to meet!" Hau exclaimed with zeal, and Sun smirked.

"Could've fooled me with the way you were pouting just a moment ago dude." He teased in a friendly way, and Hau chuckled in response before grinning right back at him; completely unoffended by the joke in any way. Sun had the distinct impression he and the bubbly boy were going to get along swimmingly; the fact he had a sense of humor and could take a harmless quip at his expense was more than enough reason to keep him around in Sun's opinion.

"So, since we were forced to let Sun pick his starter ahead of schedule; would you like to pick yours now as well Hau?! I can feel you practically shaking with excitement, so we might as well bend the rules a bit since we already did so with Sun. Just remember to thank the Kahuna you two; he's the one who provided these Pokémon, not me." Kukui suggested as Hau took a moment to examine both of his options now that he saw both Rowlet and Popplio standing on either side of the Professor.

"Hmm, I've actually had my eye on Popplio for a while now; I just hope that Moon can forgive me for leaving her with Rowlet. I know there were circumstances and all that… but I wouldn't want to be the last one to pick a starter either; not that there's anything wrong with you of course Rowlet." Hau said reassuringly to both Pokémon, who beamed back at him in turn; understanding what he was trying to say and not taking offense to it.

"Moon?" Sun repeated the name questioningly, and Kukui chuckled.

"Yes, you heard correctly Sun; there is indeed a female Trainer by that name coming to Melemele Island later today to receive her starter, well technically hers is a nickname just like yours. I guess your mother wasn't the only parent with a penchant for giving her children a nickname based off a Celestial body." Kukui informed him as Sun arched an eyebrow; evidently intrigued.

"Well, that's gotta be one helluva coincidence if I ever heard one, wouldn't you say Sun? Not only the shared interest in celestial body-based nicknames, but also the timing of her arrival which is synchronized with your own." A familiar voice suddenly interjected as Sun jumped back with a shout of surprise; Ash IC2 standing there right beside him where a second ago there had been nobody at all.

"Fuck almighty Ash, you scared the hell out of me, _again_ ; would you stop trying to give me a heart attack like that all the time?!" Sun yelled while trying to calm his rapidly palpitating heart; Hau and Kukui glancing at the new arrival with confusion.

"Um… Sun, do you know this man?" Kukui wondered curiously, bringing Sun back to the world outside of his own mini heart attack as the mysterious Entity smiled warmly in greeting while waving at both him and Hau, and Sun glanced between the three of them a little uncertainly.

"Uh, yeah… a little bit; I mean, I only met him once briefly this morning… he accompanied me for the first steps of my journey onto Route 1, but then he just disappeared when I was about to hit the patch of tall grass." Sun explained to him and Hau; not bothering to tell them that Ash was far, far more than he appeared… that wasn't his secret to tell, and if Ash didn't offer the information to them freely then he wasn't going to try and convince them of the man's true nature anyhow. It was too much of a headache.

Kukui nodded, albeit somewhat hesitantly as Hau took it all in stride and introduced himself to the strange man.

"Nice to meet you both; I'm Ash Ketchum, and I'm a wanderer just passing through. I saw Sun about to begin his first steps as a Pokémon Trainer alone and decided to provide whatever meager company I could; this sort of thing is a huge milestone for any Pokémon Trainer, and I wanted to make sure someone else was around to supervise and oversee the kid for a bit there. Granted, from what I've seen; he did just fine on his own all things considered.

I also kind of got distracted and wandered off to another part of the Route just as Sun reached the tall grass, and realized I should find my way back before he ran into any trouble. By time I did however; you already had things well in hand Professor Kukui." Ash explained what he had been up to for the last half an hour or so as Kukui nodded understandingly.

He supposed a veteran Trainer like this man clearly was, would feel a bit nostalgic seeing a newbie take their first steps into the larger world. It was nice that the man cared enough to oversee Sun's progress when Kukui himself couldn't, but something about this Ash Ketchum rubbed him the wrong way; he gave off an aura of absolute dottiness, even by Kukui's standards which were set pretty high.

"Well, I'm glad there are nice people like you out there who care enough to watch over Sun; it's nice to meet you to Ash." Hau greeted him happily, and Sun sweat dropped at the boy's naivety while snorting humorously at Ash's description of himself as a wanderer passing through. That was pretty much the vaguest explanation of what he was doing here that he could've given them, and it was likely driving the Professor somewhat barmy as a result.

Sun tried to school his reactions when Ash's voice suddenly broadcasted itself telepathically inside his head. ' _Sorry about running off like that; I sensed Kukui's arrival impending and knew that I ought not to interfere with the events that followed. My presence here throws the entire continuity of your universe out of whack, but while I won't interfere with your journey or try to sway your decision either way; that doesn't mean I can't watch your back for a little while and give you some pointers while I'm at it. I happen to be a rather capable Pokémon battler myself; so even if you decide not to become your IC2 self that doesn't mean we can't be friends_.' Ash explained to him as Sun did his best to send him the mental approximation of an understanding nod, though it was hard since he wasn't exactly used to thought mail or whatever the hell this was. Kukui and Hau were none the wiser to the purely mental conversation to the two of them were having.

Sun did feel better about the fact that Ash hadn't just outright abandoned him; though he did wonder if that meant he was already leaning towards becoming everything Ash offered him the opportunity to be. How many people got the chance to become a literal God among men? He was tempted to say yes right away simply thanks to the power alone… he always wanted to be the absolute best, and thanks to Ash's abilities he very well could've been the best on a scale he could never have imagined. The thing was, Ash made it clear this deification process would rewrite him in every possible way; so he had to weigh his decision carefully since he would never be the same ever again.

"So, moving on; Hau, I'm assuming you want Popplio then?" Kukui asked the younger boy, trying to get this conversation back on track as Hau turned to the seal Pokémon with an easygoing smile and both Sun and Ash watched from the sidelines.

"That's right Professor. Alola friend, I'd decided ages ago that you're the one I want to have an adventure with Popplio!" Hau exclaimed excitedly as he held out his arms in a welcoming offer as Popplio accepted and jumped straight into them. He was so happy for being picked; he had been told by both Litten and Rowlet alike that his kind was the least popular of the three starters, and even though they were only joking their words hurt. He hoped he would be picked by a nice Trainer despite his worries, and not as a last resort; so the fact that Hau decided on him despite having the option between him and Rowlet was enough for the Water-type to be nearly reduced to tears of joy. He was so happy and so relieved, and Hau seemed like such a nice and caring person to; he had no doubt they'd go far together.

"Okay, I guess we can head on over to Iki Town now." Professor Kukui stated, wanting to get the ball rolling but not too displeased when Hau interjected.

"Hold on a minute Professor, me and Popplio have a favor to ask of Sun and Litten here." He said.

"Be our opponents in our first ever Pokémon battle together!" He exclaimed excitedly, Popplio barking and clapping his flippers excitedly in agreement.

"Of course! I've wanted to fight a Trainer battle the entire time I've been out here! You're on Hau!" Sun responded, equally as fired up as Kukui suddenly cut in and Ash observed them all silently with a deadpan look… his expression unreadable.

"Hold on! Before you two step into the ring together, I think it would be wise to heal up Litten first; that way you both can get the most out of this experience." Kukui interjected suddenly, and both Sun and Hau agreed as Kukui took a potion out of his lab coat pocket before spraying it on Litten's Pokeball which the eager 14-year-old had held up.

He knew potions could work their magic both inside and outside of a Pokeball, and also understood that the way potions worked were that they expedited the Pokémon's natural healing processes to near instant recovery… the amount of health and energy restored depending upon the nature of the potion, the level of the Pokémon, and how injured the Pokémon itself was.

Full Restore Potions were one of the few on the market almost always guaranteed to heal all types of injuries, fatigue, status conditions, and all of a Pokémon's health to optimum performance in seconds flat; for that very reason it was one of the most expensive items one could buy from a regular Pokemart. For a Pokémon as low of a level and as uninjured as Litten; a single potion would be more than enough… especially since it was only aimed at helping heal Litten's fatigue and restoring his health, vitality, and energy-levels.

With that taken care of, Sun and Hau stepped off the main pathway slightly and into the wilder areas of the Route; some wild Pokémon stopping what they were doing to surreptitiously observe the spectacle that was about to unfold. Many of these wild Pokémon loved watching Trainers battle, and sought to emulate the intensity of such an exchange of moves as best they could. Unfortunately, there was a limit to how strong a Pokémon could grow simply on its own, but that's why they challenged Trainers in the first place; to try and earn a spot on their team or get as much training out of the experience as they could before they were knocked out of the match.

"Alright! Sun and Litten, give us your best shot!" Hau exclaimed while jogging excitedly up and down on the spot.

"Bring it!" Sun shouted out in exchange, as both Trainers and their Pokémon stood poised for combat.

Kukui stood off to the side a fair distance away; wanting to give them their space to really duke it out and stay clear of the inevitable fallout, Ash standing beside him as he observed Sun's actions quite closely… a little more closely than the Professor was strictly comfortable with as he glanced at the enigmatic man out of the corner of his eye. The last starter Rowlet was returned to his Pokeball for now; which left only the two men to bear witness to both young Trainers' battling debut.

"Popplio, use Water Gun!" Hau commanded and just like that the battle was off as the Water-type Pokémon obliged; a small but powerful stream of water bursting from his open mouth towards Litten at an impressive rate.

"Dodge it and get in close with a Lick attack." Sun countered as Litten neatly sidestepped the oncoming jet stream of water, continuing to run along the field as Popplio's attack ceased; unable to maintain it for very long due to his currently low level.

"Counterattack with Pound." Hau shouted just in time for Popplio to raise his flipper above his head and meet Litten have way; nowhere nearly as fast on land as the Fire-cat Pokémon. Litten opened his mouth mid-run, and a massively engorged tongue-shaped construct erupted from his maw, one which was slightly awash in a paralyzing ghostly energy. The tongue stretched towards Popplio at insane speeds as Litten himself continued bridging the gap between them at the same time; the Lick attack managing to take several slobbery licks of the Water-type before Popplio managed to push it back and slap Litten in the face with a Pound attack in turn.

Ash and Professor Kukui watched the ongoing battle with rapture as the force of Popplio's slap sent Litten skidding back slightly; though the damage Litten took was minor compared to the damage his opponent sustained both from Lick's health drainage and high chance of paralysis. Unfortunately for Hau, Popplio was indeed suffering a Paralysis status condition as small jets of electricity rooted him in place; making him wince slightly as Sun and Litten didn't let up, deciding to take advantage of Popplio's immobilization to set up.

"Use Work Up!" He commanded, and Litten nodded before he let his fighting spirit fill his being and got psyched up for the match; a red down covering his body that indicated a boost to both his attack and special attack.

"Again." Sun commanded when Popplio showed no signs of moving, and Litten grew a savage grin; the second time even easier than the first since he was already working himself up into a seriously battle-ready mood.

"Come on Popplio; you've got to pull it together, I know it hurts but I need you to shake off that Paralysis and use the strongest Water Gun you can!" Hau encouraged his starter Pokémon; starting to panic slightly as Sun managed to get Litten to set up another two Work Up attacks in the time it took for Hau's words to reach his partner; putting Litten at plus 4 in both of his offensive stats; more than enough power to end this battle in one shot.

As this was happening, Kukui and Ash were observing Sun's calm and cool demeanor during the fight; equally impressed by how in control of the battle he was being and how much he was dominating Hau. "Sun is certainly a talented Trainer." Kukui remarked, stating the obvious as Ash agreed.

"More than that Kukui, the kid's a prodigy of the rarest sort; I'm talking on the same level as Red or others like Serena from Kalos, Rosa from Unova, and the like. He'll go far, mark my words." He replied in an all-knowing tone, and Kukui couldn't help but smile with pride at the greenhorn Trainer; if a veteran Trainer like Ash could see such potential in Sun; then Kukui couldn't bring himself to doubt the man's judgement.

"I'm glad; I guess I must've chosen better than I thought." Kukui smiled cheerily, and with that said the two of them returned their full attention to the battle just in time to see Sun and Litten about to end it.

"Finish this with a full-powered Ember Litten!" The 14-year-old former Kanto-born ordered as Litten's eyes glowed with power for a second before his maw opened wide and red-hot, fiery orbs the size of tennis balls erupted from his mouth in far more numerous quantities than any Ember attack Litten had used before. Popplio had only just managed to get off a Water Gun attack before the Embers struck home; one of them evaporating his Water Gun on contact and sending a bunch of steam billowing into the air all around him.

The rest pelted his body with tiny but still impressive explosions littering the field and turning the sand around him and Hau into glass. Hau was forced to cover his eyes as a mound of dirt, dust, sand, and other Earthly substances were sent spiraling into the air; obscuring the results of Litten's last attack as Popplio's cry of pain suddenly stopped and Hau heard his starter slumping to the ground. He didn't need to see to know that his Pokémon was down and out; that much was already clear just based on what he heard.

Sun and Litten waited on the other side; guarded and vigilant in case Popplio tried to attack them through the obscurity of the dust cloud but relaxing when it cleared to reveal the Water-type collapsed in the dirt with swirls for eyes and minor scorch marks on his body, easily KOed despite Popplio's type advantage.

Sun didn't take long to let out a cheer of victory. "ALRIGHT! WE DID IT LITTEN!" He bellowed as he hoisted Litten up into the air over his head and spun them both around on the spot with glee; his Pokémon responding with a closed-eye smile while mewling pridefully. Hau meanwhile, looked down at Popplio with a joyful smile on his face; holding him up in his arms as Popplio looked up at him sadly… not enjoying the fact that they lost to a Pokémon that was weak against him very much.

"You did really, really well Popplio; those two just had more time to do some training together than we did, that's all. You take a good, long rest now, okay." Hau praised him before returning him inside his Pokeballs; watching him dematerialize inside of it through a beam of red light before turning to the still celebrating Sun and Litten.

"Man, you guys were AWESOME Sun! That battle gave me chicken skin! Everyone should always try to have the kind of battles where they have fun, ya know?!" Hau exclaimed excitedly, getting Sun and Litten's attention as the older boy responded with a dazzling smile.

"Thanks, Hau, you guys were amazing as well. I hope we can battle again, and soon. In the meantime though, Litten and I will keep doing our best." Sun responded sportingly as the both of them shook hands happily… sparking a friendly rivalry between them that would carry on well into the future.

They were both greeted by the sound of someone clapping as Ash walked up to them while applauding; Kukui walking beside him as Sun and Hau both smiled. "You both did really well for your first time battling a Trainer; Sun, you directed Litten really well and were able to make use of some really potent combos and move effects to help Litten win the battle. Your ability to bring out the best in your partner is truly remarkable.

And Hau, you were able to make good use of Popplio's type advantage and should be proud no matter the outcome. Some small things I can advise you to work on in the future if you don't mind some pointers from a seasoned veteran like myself. You started panicking slightly when Litten's Lick paralyzed your Popplio, and maintaining one's calm and composure even when the battle is looking bleak on their side is important.

If you can work on not cracking quite as much even under extreme pressure; you can no doubt reach new and unprecedented heights, and I've also seen many Trainers turn the battle around against some of the most insurmountable odds simply because they maintained their calm aura and never gave up." Ash congratulated both of them while offering Hau some rather valuable advice; the Alola-native eating it up as he nodded with a happy smile.

"I'll be sure to work on that next time; thanks for the advice Ash sir." Hau gratefully responded, and Kukui felt his respect for Ash rising significantly in that moment. He wasn't sure about him at first, but now he did seem like a nice guy.

"My genuine pleasure Hau; I'm always trying to give up and coming Trainers a leg up… everybody has to start somewhere right?" Ash graciously said back to him as Kukui clapped jovially; getting everyone's attention

"Alright, excellent battling you guys; these were exactly the kinds of moves that only two Trainers and their Pokémon could've pulled off, yeah! You both did really well and brought out the best in your partners. Two of the three starters have been chosen now; which leaves us to wait for Moon to pick Rowlet when she gets here! While we wait for her though we should move onward. Let's catch that Tailwind and drift away to Iki Town!" Kukui exclaimed theatrically while also managing to slip in a Pokémon pun; something which made both Hau and Sun sweat-drop. The only one there who busted a gut laughing was Ash IC2 himself; which instantly put him in the Professor's good graces as the IC2 Counterpart made a casual remark.

"I have a friend who would get along very well with you Professor; he is absolutely notorious for his Pokémon puns." He chortled. Professor Kukui found himself wanting to meet this stranger as he and Ash both locked arms and strutted into Iki Town with perfectly synchronized marching footfalls like they were suddenly best buddies.

"Uh… what just happened?" Hau questioned in an obvious stupor. Sun's eyes became tiny, horizontal Anime slits of exasperation which was directed at the strangeness taking place just ahead of them.

"I don't know… but we should probably follow them." Sun responded in a matter-of-fact tone, a deadpan look on his face and both he and Hau hurried off after the two marching madmen with all due haste.

**XXXXX**

Iki Town was… tiny to say the least. Sun couldn't think of any other way to put it as he walked through the archway entrance right into the tiny village which greeted his view right now. This place made Pallet Town look huge in comparison, and Pallet Town was not a big place either so that was truly saying something. That aside however, the black and red hat-wearing teenager couldn't help but find the obvious homey atmosphere of this place settling. It was quaint, and he liked that, though he wouldn't deny he also enjoyed the hustling bustling activity of large cities as well. Sun honestly wondered whether there was any style of living that genuinely displeased him at this point… other than the obvious acts of criminal activity Kanto suffered at the hands of Team Rocket of course.

Looking ahead and to his left respectively made Sun aware of the fact that there were maybe a dozen or so houses altogether in the lower town square. He could also see what looked like a large set of stairs leading up on some sort of elevated platform area; likely another section of the tiny town which looked more like a plaza than anything. All and all, it was one of the tiniest villages he ever had the pleasure of visiting, and he could just _feel_ the welcoming aura this place gave off.

"Alright, welcome Sun to Iki Town. This homey square is where folks come along from all over to give thanks, praise, and worship towards the Pokémon that watches over Melemele Island. Tapu Koko keeps us all feeling safe and happy, see!" Kukui explained to him as he, Ash, and Hau all stood alongside Sun in a quartet-fashion.

Sun couldn't stop beaming with absolute radiance… unable to contain his excitement at being allowed to keep his new Pokémon and friend Litten and meet the Island Kahuna. The suspense was killing him as he noticed Kukui glancing all around them with question marks appearing above his head.

"Looks like the Kahuna is late to the party, though… I guess he must be off resolving one of the many skirmishes that tends to break out across the island. That's part of their duty you know!" Kukui explained as Sun groaned impatiently and Hau laughed. He wanted to speed things along so he could go on his journey already, and this Kahuna being absent when they were supposed to meet was eating away at him a little. Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the irony… all of that power and potential in both mortal terms and Supreme Omnidony alike, and he was still just a human teenager; he was still just a child. And hey, there was nothing wrong with that; the mind of a child was truly a wondrous and fascinating construct, and one Ash looked forward to deifying if and when Sun should accept his offer.

Hau folded both of his hands behind the back of his head as though he were making to lean back into them while standing, an easy-going smile appearing on his face as he responded to Kukui's statement. "Yeah, the Kahuna wandered off earlier without a word to anybody, singing a little ditty or somethin'. I'm gonna leave you guys to it for a bit. I've gotta stop by home for a sec and show my mom Popplio!" He exclaimed excitedly, and without waiting for them to reply he was off; disappearing up the flight of stairs leading to the higher platform end of town.

Sun chuckled at his new friend's excitable nature, able to relate to it a lot as both Kukui and Ash continued standing by him. Evidently, they were both content to share duties when it came to overseeing Sun's first steps as a Pokémon Trainer, and Sun didn't mind so much either. He rather liked having both older men around even if they were a bit strange. It may have sounded strange, but with the less-than-respectable life choices his father made which landed him in prison for life; Sun didn't exactly have too many positive male role models in his life, and so the fact that both Kukui and Ash were unknowingly stepping into the role was something the younger male realized he missed a lot. It wasn't that he didn't love his mother… truly he did, but there were simply some things only a guy would really know the answer to, or be able to help him out with.

Kukui's smile broadened as an idea occurred to him and he turned to Sun. "Hey, I've got an idea for you Sun. If you head straight through the village and up the hill, you can visit the ruins that belong to Tapu Koko. That's our island's guardian deity, yeah! Why don't you go and introduce yourself? If you're super lucky, maybe you'll actually get a glimpse of the guardian deity yourself!" Kukui suggested, and Sun said yes without any hesitation; welcoming any means of killing time at this point. He was all too happy to have a way to occupy his time until the Kahuna got here, so he nodded merrily. Neither he nor Kukui was aware of the all-knowing smile that briefly flashed across Ash's face. That smile was gone by time Sun turned back around in order to address him.

"You wanna come with?!" Sun asked him excitedly, and to his surprise and slight disappointment Ash shook his head negatively.

"Nah, I think I might stick around here for a while and swap some ideas for Pokémon moves around with Kukui. You should go and see what… life-altering events may or may not be waiting for you up in those ruins Sun." Ash responded in a significant tone, and Sun swallowed somewhat nervously; now understanding why he wasn't coming with him better now. Ash said something earlier about not interfering in any major events in Sun's life and future; so perhaps what awaited him up in those ruins was one such event.

"I'll do that, and about your offer from before…" Sun paused, not missing the way Kukui's eyebrows arched and Ash's smile widened.

"Yes…" Ash urged him slightly, evidently excited to hear what he had to say next.

"Well, I've given it some thought and I think I'm more or less ready to make a decision. When I get back from the ruins… I give you my word I'll have your answer then." Sun promised the older man; knowing how suspicious this must have all sounded to Kukui but not able to bring himself to care. His business with Ash was their own; it had nothing to do with the esteemed Professor of the region… though Sun could respect his desire to keep his charge safe. It was his job as the Regional Professor after all.

Ash nodded, before ushering him onward in a swift shooing motion. "I will gleefully anticipate it in the meantime; now… off you pop already." Sun nodded in response to that before running off and taking the stairs to the upper plateau two or even three at a time. Kukui's suspicious glare continued to attempt to bore holes into Ash's face, but the Supreme Omnidony merely winked cheekily at him; surprising the Professor enough to actually get him to stop trying to intimidate the clearly unimpressed IC2 Counterpart.

"Relax Kukui, I didn't offer the kid anything nefarious; I've just made him the offer to leave a very precious gift in his hands… one that may even alter the course of this world as we know it, in a good way mind you. Don't worry about a thing, because no matter what his decision is I've no doubt that boy will one day touch the stars."

**XXXXX**

"Whew, this trail goes on for freaking ever!" Sun panted as he meandered up the dirt pathway leading to this Tapu Koko's ruins. He couldn't help but wonder if this Pokémon was legendary, and if it was he found it incredible that the people on this island had such a remarkable relationship with it. Most Legendary Pokémon would have to be concerned about humans trying to consolidate all their powers for their own selfish schemes, but here these Legends were worshipped as deities and had some sort of role as the Island's protector.

"This place is AWESOME!" Sun shouted as he continued his uphill trek; stopping suddenly when he saw what looked like a person up head with their back to him. He idly noted their platinum blonde hair and white attire along with a ridiculously oversized bag and a big hat. But he was too far behind them to make out much else. He heard them speaking however and was able to catch what they were saying even. He also could've sworn he saw that bag of theirs moving and bustling around as the stranger held it fast in their arm.

"I know, I know, I'll take you to the ruins. So, please stay in the bag. We could get into trouble if anyone sees you." Sun heard the person say; their voice very obviously female as he watched them walk further on ahead. He decided on a whim to follow her; hoping she might've been the Kahuna or that she knew where the Kahuna was. His long trek up the path culminated in it widening out to form a clearing; the sound of a waterfall filling his eardrums and creating a serene ambiance. He kept his eyes peeled for the strange girl and saw her stumbling awkwardly towards a rickety plank bridge that lead from the trail to what could only be the mouth of the ruins over on the other side.

He made to follow her, finding the way she walked to be somewhat odd and suddenly realizing she wasn't stumbling forward at all. She was being pulled forward by that bag of hers which lurched forward in front of her seemingly unaided in midair. Quickly surmising that something laid in that bag which was pulling the girl along; Sun's deduction proved correct when the girl stopped right at the edge of the bridge and the bag opened to reveal a rather strange manner of creature.

It looked like a cosmic-patterned ball of cotton candy, or some equally fluffy substance. It flew outwards across the bridge with a coo of delight; obviously happy to be out of its confinement and free to make its way towards the ruins. The girl continued to whisper urgently at the creature to come back, and something about it being a bad idea for it to be seen, but Sun didn't pay her any mind as a much more immediate problem made itself known that very moment.

The 14-year-old newbie Trainer's eyes widened in horror as a flock of aggressive-looking Spearow converged on the cotton candy's location with beady black eyes alight with malice. The creature curled itself into a ball defenselessly at the midpoint of the plank bridge as the birds circled around it and battered it continuously with their wings; prompting cries of pain and distress from the poor creature. Sun knew it was only a matter of time before they started using their beaks and talons to do some real damage and made haste for the Plank Bridge as the girl sensed someone approaching behind her.

She turned around to face him with a frantic and helpless look on her face as Sun got his first good look at her. She was around his age, maybe a little bit older with long, platinum blonde hair and green eyes. He was also a little intimidated by the fact that she was several inches taller than him but got over it quickly as she found her voice.

"Ah." She desperately intoned.

"What's wrong?' Sun asked her concernedly.

"H-help… Save Nebby." She pleaded with him in a desperate, imploring tone. The two of them heard the creature now known as Nebby give a ' _pew_ ' of utter distress, and Sun's mind was made up as Litten shared his Trainer's conviction from within his Pokeball.

"Those Spearow are attacking him! But I'm not a Trainer... I can't…" The mysterious girl added as a sort of explanation as Sun began to steel himself for a trying time.

He took another step closer to the bridge. "Please, please save Nebby! I'll heal your Pokémon for you, so…" She broke off as she brought a potion out of one of the pouches in her bag and sprayed it expertly on his shrunken Pokeball on his clipped belt; obviously having done this before as Sun nodded and forcibly exhaled. He brought Litten out of his Pokeball before taking his first step out onto the bridge; his eyes widening when one of the Spearow lunged for him and Litten as he commanded a dodge from the fire cat just in time for him to avoid a Pursuit attack.

"Retaliate with Ember!" Sun exclaimed with an air of authority about him as Litten immediately complied and the iconic miniaturized orbs of fire burst from his open maw and hit Spearow point-blank just as it was coming it for another Pursuit. The attack went off in its face with a tiny combustion; sending it flying back to whence it came but also damaging the integral structure of the Plank Bridge slightly.

Litten gave a loud meow of satisfaction as he felt the experience gain from that one-shot. His grinding with Sun back on Route 1 had paid off quite a bit and he was happy to help his Trainer deal with this situation. The blonde girl spoke up from behind him and Sun as well. "You managed to chase off one of the Spearow, but… oh, there are still more! Please, I'm begging you, please help Nebby if you can! But be careful! It looks like that attack may have damaged the Plank Bridge as well…" She pointed out concerned as Sun nodded and smiled while giving her a thumb up.

"I'll do whatever I have to." He assured her before he continued his now unimpeded trek across the bridge; returning Litten to his Pokeball if things went south, not wanting to risk the fire cat's life so needlessly. Sun's eyes widened with momentary terror and a frantic heartbeat when the bridge suddenly lurched without warning at his third step; just as quickly settling back down as Sun swallowed a lump that formed in his throat and continued once more. He always kept the Spearow and Nebby within his sights; willing himself not to look down and trying not to have a mini heart attack when the Plank Bridge gave a wild and violent lurch twice more before he finally managed to reach his objective.

He crouched down over top of the diminutive creature in a protective manner; using his body as a human shield and preparing to make a run for it. The Spearow didn't like this one bit, and Sun gave a shout of pain as one of their razor-sharp talons cut a nasty-looking ash into his right arm, but he willed it back and continued to try and lift Nebby up and out of here. The maniacal birds all swarmed him for his efforts, and just as they were all coming in at him with their clawed toes outstretched; Nebby did something that made his eyes contract. He suddenly glowed with a burst of blue light that managed to repel the Spearow. To Sun's abject horror, it also caused the Plank Bridge to break apart underneath them and for the blonde girl to suddenly scream as both boy and Pokémon were sent plummeting into the ravine.

Sun closed his eyes automatically and braced for impact; knowing that this would hurt like hell assuming he survived hitting those sharp rocks at the bottom. His life flashed before his eyes and the Spearow flew in the sky above them while cawing mockingly at them for their inability to fly. A blur of electrifying motion suddenly cut across the sky without any warning and descended upon them; neatly dispatching the Spearow with spinning bursts of electricity while managing to catch Sun and Nebby in midair at the last possible second before they fell into the water. It just as swiftly brought them up and away from the danger and placed them gently on the ground at the blonde girl's feet before back-flipping and landing cleanly on the ground in front of them for Sun, Nebby, and the girl to see.

Sun witnessed an incandescent being that could only have been a legendary. Its very presence carried a massive static aura that caused every hair on his body to stand on end and a chill to run down his spine. It was mainly yellow and black in coloration with a large orange plume extending from the top of its head with bristles along the back. It had white markings on its chest, just above the eyes, and on top of its head. On each of its arms was a shell that appeared to make up fifty percent of a bird mask, with its hands ending in two black claws to create a beak formation for the mask.

It caught Sun's eye and held out a hand for him to take; a mysterious sparkling stone in its possession that the 14-year-old realized was meant for him. Still in shock, Sun accepted the strange souvenir without question, and watched in wonder as the creature gave a loud cry and blasted back into the sky like a bolt of lightning; a trail of ions streaking behind it as it disappeared once more.

Sun, Nebby, and the girl were left gobsmacked for a minute or two as their frantic heartbeats calmed down and their shock gave way to pure relief. Sun couldn't help but sigh as he stood up and smiled down at the cotton-candy fluff-butt that caused him no small amount of excitement. He then turned his attention to the girl as she took a step closer to him and Nebby. The cosmic creature saw his unofficial Trainer standing close by and gave another of his ' _Pew_ ' sounds; this one expressing his delight and happiness at seeing her again.

"Oh…Oh, thank goodness!" The girl exclaimed with such relief that Sun's smile widened.

"You tried using your power again… didn't you? Oh, Nebby… You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!" The girl continued in a tone that was equal parts scolding and just plain happy to see the Pokémon okay. She looked downward slightly out of shame, and Sun was just standing there listening to their exchange while waiting patiently for her to notice him. He couldn't help but respect how close of a bond these two seemed to share.

"No… I shouldn't say that. I'm truly sorry, Nebby… I know you were only trying to save me last time… And I couldn't even help you in return… I feel so useless." The girl murmured in a dejected, almost self-loathing tone. Sun's eyebrows furrowed at her being so hard on herself, but then again, he didn't really have any right to say anything; especially since he knew not her story.

" _Pew_!" Nebby protested his Trainer's statement vehemently, and the girl sighed before both she and Nebby noticed the strange stone sparkling in Sun's hand.

The girl took notice of him finally as Sun chuckled inwardly, having been content to let her have her moment with Nebby up until now. "Please, forgive me. I am so grateful to you for helping us out of that dangerous spot." She thankfully said to him as Sun waved it off.

"I had help, and besides, I would never turn down a Pokémon or a pretty girl in need." Sun responded in a sincere tone, and he meant it to. The girl's prettiness was nothing to sneeze at now that he got a good look at her, but that wasn't here or there as the girl's eyes widened when they saw the still bleeding cut on his arm.

"You're hurt!" She exclaimed, eyes wide with concern and compassion as Sun remembered the laceration he suffered at the Spearow's hands and his eyes roved over to it.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that in the excitement honestly. Don't worry too much, it's not deep or anything; just a scratch from one of those Spearow." He reassured her, but the girl was having none of it as she went into her bag and brought out some medical supplies. Sun's eyes widened in surprise as she sat him down and got down on her knees to tend to him like a nurse. She expertly cleaned the wound and wrapped him neatly up in a pressure bandage; having obviously done as demonstrated by her practiced hands. Sun meanwhile was just enjoying the tactile contact between the two and this blonde's proximity; having not had much practice with girls or interacting with them back in Pallet Town, but finding he enjoyed having this strange girl close to him.

"There, that should do." She said as she stepped away and gave him room to stand back up as Sun did exactly that, testing the bandage and the cut for any sort of residual pain and pleased when he felt only the tiniest sting.

"Thanks, it feels much better now. It barely hurts at all now; you really know what you're doing, huh?" He looked over to her with a megawatt smile as the girl flushed sheepishly at his praise and offered him a close-eyed smile of her own.

"Um… thanks…" She stammered awkwardly in response.

"That reminds me, I meant to ask you who you were or if you were the Kahuna. But now I can see that's not the case. I was an idiot to because now that I think about it; Kukui referred to the Kahuna as a dude." Sun conversationally stated as the girl seemed to weigh her options. On the one hand, she had to be careful who she gave her name to; on the other, this boy just risked his life to save her precious Nebby without asking for anything in return. Offering the boy, a small and awkward smile, she decided to take a leap of faith.

"I'm… I'm Lillie. I guess that sparkling stone must be yours then" She stuttered, and Sun nodded.

"Nice name ya got there, my name's Sun. Well, technically that's what everyone calls me, and it just sort of stuck." He introduced himself in return as Lillie nodded. Who would've guessed the same boy Kukui would mention to her in passing as a transfer from Kanto would turn out to be her knight in shining armor? She was glad to know that, because there was little to no chance of him being a member of the Aether Foundation from that far away. Still, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to be a little cautious until she got to know him better.

"Please… don't tell anyone about this… about seeing Nebby… it's… it's a secret, OK?" She imploringly whispered to him, and Sun nodded with a smile; not sure why this cosmic cotton-ball's existence was so hush-hush but willing to trust her.

"Okay, no worries… I won't say anything to anyone, I promise." He assured her, and he meant it to. Whenever he made a promise, Sun would go to hell and back to ensure he kept it if need be. His mom said it was one of his more admirable traits, but he honestly hated anyone who broke their word because that was what his father had done.

His solemn oath seemed to reassured Lillie. "Come on then Nebby, back into the bag, okay." She instructed the mysterious Pokémon who sighed with defeat and did as instructed. With that settled, Lillie turned to go just as Sun was realizing he would have to backtrack as well; because he didn't want to take his chances with the dense forests bordering the pathway on both sides, lest he get lost or the wild Pokémon get testy like a Sharpedo in a tank.

The blonde walked ahead of him a few paces before her head lowered and she seemed to be weighing a decision in her mind. She turned back around to face Sun with a look that indicated she had one more favor she needed to ask him and hated having to rely on him like this; he could tell she hated feeling useless and wanted to help reassure her that she wasn't. "Um… I'm worried we might get attacked again by some wild Pokémon or… or something. I know it's too much for me to ask it, but… Do you think you could maybe escort us back to town?" Lillie requested of him politely, and Sun arched an eyebrow.

"Okay, first off, that's far from being too much to ask, so there's no need to talk like you're a burden to everyone. Secondly, I'm heading back there anyways so we might as well go together." He said in a firm but gently reassuring tone as he gave her another smile, which she shyly returned.

"Thanks." She replied, and with that the two of them began the hour-long trek back down the pathway leading towards Iki Town. Whilst walking there together, Sun decided to strike up a conversation.

"What kind of Pokémon is Nebby by the way? I've only just moved here to Alola and I'm still not fully up to speed on all the new kinds of Pokémon you find only here." He wondered, but upon seeing her slightly panicked expression he waved his hands frantically in a reassuring and placating gesture.

"You don't have to tell me, I was honestly just curious." He promised, and Lillie nodded slowly once her panic subsided. She didn't mean to get so worked up but was always on the lookout for people trying to get their hands on Nebby. It made it hard for her to grow closer to people without wondering if they had a hidden agenda. She reminded herself that Sun was asking a perfectly innocent question and decided to give him a response.

"That's okay Sun, everybody gets curious sometimes I suppose. And um… I hope you don't mind but I'd rather not answer that question for right now." Lillie answered him in a dejected tone, hating the subterfuge and the fact she had to keep secrets. She hoped Sun could forgive her for that.

Sun shrugged, deciding not to ask her anything further about Nebby for right now until she knew she could trust him. "Of course, I don't mind. If keeping Nebby's secret is that important to you I won't ask anymore questions until you know for absolute certain you can trust me. I only just moved to Alola, so I don't really know much about its customs, cultures, legends, people, and Pokémon. I feel like a Seaking out of water, but I do hope you and I can be friends at least." He said in an unsure and shy tone as Lillie couldn't help but feel her heart swell with compassion. He had to be feeling really lonely right about now.

"Do you miss your homeland or your friends?" She wondered, and Sun shrugged.

"Kanto was nice but a little bit cold for my tastes. I really like how warm and tropical Alola is by comparison. And no, I didn't really have any friends back home. I kind of kept to myself after… Well, it was a really small town and there wasn't anyone my age to play with growing up." Sun admitted in a heavy tone, and Lillie nodded while listening to him talk. She decided not to ask about the obvious cover-up Sun had cast over the reason for his lack of friends; figuring he deserved to keep his own share of secrets since he was also keeping hers. Still, she couldn't say she wasn't intrigued by this boy.

"Well, I would like that to honestly. I was just thinking that to myself earlier when Kukui mentioned you were coming earlier. I kept hoping you were nice and that we could be friends. After today, I can definitely say you're on the right track to getting some friends for life." She responded, and Sun flushed slightly at her words; not entirely surprised she knew Professor Kukui given how interactive he was with the children of Route 1.

"I only did what anyone halfway decent would've done." He insisted.

"A lot of people wouldn't risk their lives for a Pokémon like that Sun. You have a kind and compassionate heart if nothing else. I bet your parents would be proud." Lillie assured him, and Sun's eyes darkened slightly at the mention of his parents. Sure, his mom would be proud, but his dad… not so much. That was a good thing in Sun's opinion though… an utterly fantastic thing.

"I appreciate that." He replied, and with that the two of them eased into a comfortable silence for the rest of the walk back to Iki Town. They made small talk here and there but that was about it. Little did Sun know that his excitement for the day had only just begun, and there was one more, new person he had to meet.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After arriving at the docking port in Melemele Island's Hau'oli City; Moon didn't waste any time sightseeing and hauled ass for Iki Town where she was due to meet that shirtless professor and the Kahuna to receive her first Pokémon. She kept herself in really good shape all her young life in preparation for her eventual journey; always doing her best to eat right and get lots of exercise both by swimming in the ocean and doing laps around her native island for days at a time; stopping to rest for the night at the various inns and other places where she had made friends who'd let her sleep the night on the couch.

Because of this, she was extraordinarily tanned and toned for a 14-year-old girl and made it all the way to Iki Town without slowing down or causing herself to suffer from anything other than slightly heavy breathing. She took great pride in her fitness and even her figure; though she wasn't one of those girly-girl types either who didn't like to be dirty.

"Whew, made it." She chuckled; seeing a surprised looking Professor Kukui and a man she didn't know but felt a strange hint of déjà vu upon seeing. She couldn't remember where she'd seen him before, but had that gut feeling deep inside her that told her he was worth noting.

"Whoa, you'd impress a Speed Form Deoxys with that long-distance run I reckon there." The man commented idly as Moon narrowed her eyes. She could tell he was an outsider based on his strange accent, but her demeanor softened when Kukui got her attention.

"Good to see you again Moon. It's been quite a long time. Welcome to Melemele Island. It's quite a bit different from Akala Island, isn't it?" Kukui greeted her warmly as Moon nodded with a half-smile.

"Yes, it amazes me how diverse the different areas of Alola's archipelago are Professor. No one does it like Alola." She replied while continuing to glare daggers at the stranger who stood beside her region's Professor. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something… off about him, and it wasn't just because he didn't belong.

"Professor, who is this man?" She asked, no longer able to stand waiting around for him to introduce himself. Kukui indicated said stranger, who smiled at Moon in greeting.

"This is Ash Ketchum, and he's here today to oversee a certain… other starting Trainer's progress." Kukui introduced as Ash waved at her in a flippant, dismissive gesture.

"Nice to meet ya Moon." He said simply, and just that sentence alone magnified Moon's sense of having met him before a thousand-fold. Where had she heard that voice before, it was like something in a dream?

"Can't say the same… Ash." She nastily stated; her eyes narrowing again as Kukui sighed and Ash looked surprisingly unoffended considering her hostility.

"Moon here hasn't had the best experience with outsiders, but we're hoping a journey will warm her to the idea of expanding her horizons." Kukui explained to Ash who merely chuckled; waving the whole thing off as Moon crossed her arms over her surprisingly amply endowed chest.

"I didn't peg you for the prejudiced sort Moon, but then again we only just met. I think you'll find your journey most illuminating, and in more ways than one. Not all of us outsiders are all bad you know." He said with a smile as Moon snorted derisively; rather doubting that but deciding to stay at least somewhat civil for now. She wasn't here for this anyways and turned to Kukui with expectant eyes.

"So, am I going to get my starter Pokémon or what? Shouldn't the old fart have been here by now?" She said in her usual crude and blunt manner.

"Yes, about that… there were some extenuating circumstances and we had to give Sun and Hau Litten and Popplio respectively. So, we only have Rowlet on hand right now. I'm sure Hala would be more than capable of laying his hands on another Litten and Popplio, but you'd have to wait a bit." Kukui sweatdropped nervously, knowing from his conversations with Oliva that Moon could be rude, abrasive, and downright mean when angered. He hoped leaving her with only Rowlet would not end up angering her.

To his surprise and relief however, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Figures you wouldn't even be able to hold onto em long enough for us all to pick and choose. That's okay though, because by the will of the Tapu's Rowlet is the one I wanted. And no, I'm not saying that to make you feel better about your decision Kukui; don't kid yourself with that, I ain't the type to spare another's feelings in any case. I honest to the gods wanted Rowlet." She admitted. She felt relieved and more than a little thankful to Tapu Lele for ensuring she still got the Pokémon she wanted in the end.

With that taken care of, Kukui smiled and grabbed Rowlet's shrunken Pokeball before handing it to Moon; watching as she put it away in her bag with a fond and tender smile on her face. "I promise to let you out plenty when we start hitting up the routes Rowlet, but for now you're safe and comfortable in there and I kinda wanna see the Kahuna and maybe Hau, so enjoy your nap little guy because I'm gonna be putting you through the wringer when I get my first look at ya." Moon said to her Pokeball, knowing Rowlet could hear and see her as she also saw a small visage of his form contained within the sphere.

"Rowlet is an excellent choice in starter Pokémon. I have his evolved form Decidueye and let me tell ya, that dude packs a wallop." Ash commented from off to the side as Moon uncomfortably shifted on the spot and adjusted her flower-petal shirt opening for lack of anything else to do. This guy was starting to rub her the wrong way, and she hoped Kahuna Hala got here soon, but was surprised when someone else came running to their group instead.

"Alola Moon, been a long time. Haven't seen ya here since that meeting between the Kahunas last year." Hau greeted her with the traditional Alolan greeting; which Moon happily returned as she smiled down at him. She'd always liked Hau, he was always such a spirited and happy kid.

"Alola Hau, and yes… it's been too long really. I'm hoping we'll see a lot more of each other now that we're both starting our journeys." The 14-year-old, raven-haired girl replied in a welcoming tone, her whole demeanor shifting from the one she used when addressing Ash.

"I'm sure we will. Alola is big but the world is small. I'm sure we'll run into each other tons." Hau said with his ever-present, easygoing smile.

"Glad to know you're still as hopelessly optimistic as ever." Moon giggled, and Hau chuckled as Kukui and Ash smiled at the obvious kinship the two shared.

"We should be expecting the last newbie Trainer right about… now." Ash suddenly said, and as if on cue they all turned as one when Sun called out to them and got their attention.

"Hey, you guys, sorry we were gone so long!" Sun exclaimed excitedly, Lillie sticking to his side like glue and shyly smiling at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Ah, Sun, and Lillie. I thought you were with the Kahuna?" Kukui said matter-of-factly as Lillie looked up at him confusedly; only just remembering that fact.

"Kahuna Hala? He said he had something to attend to, so he left town on his own. I was just, um, taking a little stroll up Mahalo Trail while I waited for him to return…" She remembered as Kukui nodded and turned his attention to Sun.

"And that's how you met our new neighbor Sun, huh? He just got to Alola yesterday. Help him find his way around, yeah?" He requested kindly of her as Lillie smiled and bowed to Sun slightly.

"So… you're also one of the professor's acquaintances? It's nice to meet you officially Sun." She smiled at him while Sun beamed at her. Hau chuckled at their exchange while Moon mimed gagging at the fluff those two were giving off when no one could see her. None of them noticed Ash's knowing smile though.

"Likewise." Sun replied.

Moon had heard enough about the outsider Sun from her Kahuna and heaved a heavy sigh as she got her first look at him. Objectively, he wasn't a bad-looking fellow either physically or personality-wise, but subjectively… she would be keeping a wary eye on him.

Sun saw her staring heatedly at him and smiled warmly, oblivious to the negative thoughts and emotions running through her mind. "I'm guessing you're Moon. And before you ask, no I'm not psychic, but both Kukui and Hau mentioned you in passing as the third starting Trainer so it was hardly a deduction worthy of praise. It's also fascinating to me that both our parents named us after Celestial bodies. The name's Sun, nice to meet ya Moon." His smile broadened as he held his hand out for her to shake; only for her to slap his hand away and make him yelp with a start. She got right in his face then, both her eyebrows rising dangerously high as she managed to look at him at eye-level. She was the same height as him, a fact which brought her comfort as it made her feel more they were on even ground. Ideally, she wished she was taller, but this would have to do.

"Lesson one outsider, handshakes are not how people greet here in Alola. Learn our customs first and foremost." She advised him abrasively, and Sun rubbed his stinging hand absently. This girl had a no-nonsense aura about her that made him feel even more like a fish out of water, and she certainly didn't hit like a girl either. She was a tough little firecracker, and he'd have to be careful not to offend her in any way lest she take him apart, and he had no doubt she could to.

Lillie looked ready to jump to Sun's defense, but both Hau and Kukui caught her eye and shook their heads; telling her not to get in the middle of this as she closed her mouth midway to giving this girl a thorough scolding. Ash meanwhile, remained strictly silent during this exchange; content to watch the young humans go about their day-to-day interactions.

Sun chuckled good-naturedly at Moon's comment. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you. And I'll also do my very best to learn all I can about Alola. I love what I see so far, and I hope that we can be friends." He stated, and Moon huffed.

"Don't bet on it." She haughtily replied, and Sun's eyes narrowed slightly. This girl was being completely, unnecessarily rude to him for no apparent reason, but for now he chose not to say anything. He wasn't interested in picking a fight no matter what this girl's issue with him was. His mother raised him better than to go around snarling at everyone who ever treated him less than fair. He preferred to save his anger for the people who truly deserved it. Getting mad at this girl with a piss-poor attitude was a waste of both time and energy.

"Okay then, anyways… sorry we're late you guys. We kind of had a little situation up on the Plank Bridge near Tapu Koko's ruins." Sun informed them all as Moon's eyes widened in alarm. This kid had been near Tapu Koko. That was extremely risky and while she never condoned the idea of an outsider trespassing on such sacred grounds… she didn't want him dead at the Electric and Fairy-type's hands either. She wasn't a monster.

"Ooh, what did you guys get up to?!" Hau questioned them while jumping up and down excitedly.

Lillie blushed at the unintentionally suggestive inquiry by the green-haired boy; knowing he didn't mean it that way but unable to help conjuring the image of her and Sun getting up to something naughty up where no one could see them. Such an idea was ridiculous she told herself… especially since she literally just met him. Though, she supposed if she were someone else that might've been the way she thanked him for saving Nebby. Her mother would most certainly never approve, and somehow that made the thought gain an alluring aspect she didn't know was possible.

"Hey, the kahuna is back! Kahuna Hala has returned!" One of the villagers suddenly announced as another cried out in excitement; grabbing their attention and dragging them from Sun and Lillie's story before it could even get started.

"Our guardian's chosen one has returned!" A second one exclaimed.

"Only one of the strongest Pokémon users in all Alola, yeah!" The third villager gushed equally as fondly as an old man who wore sandals and reminded Sun of a Hariyama in human form made his way up the stairs leading to the elevated part of town where they all were.

"Have I missed something?" Hala asked them all in a gruff but not unfriendly tone.

"There you are, Kahuna Hala! Was there some kind of trouble?" Kukui responded to him with a question of his own as Hala walked closer to them on the center platform which served as Iki Town's main Pokémon battlefield.

"Ahaha! Just got caught up in the middle of some brawling Rockruff, that's all! Sorry, Lillie. What were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…" Hala explained as everyone's eyes fell on Lillie as a unit.

"Oh, um… Yes, Kahuna Hala… Nebby got attacked by some Spearow on the Plank Bridge. And Sun here helped protect him. But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine… And that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!" She grew more passionate with her words the more she spoke of the situation, and Sun chuckled while Moon's eyes widened, Hau grinned, and Kukui's eyes grew wide with his smile.

"Woo! That's something you don't hear every day!" The professor excitedly replied to her.

"Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you." Hala added his two cents worth before turning to Kukui standing beside him.

"Kukui, my boy, I think we have cause to celebrate! Looks like we have a brave and kind new Pokémon Trainer in our midst!" The kahuna continued as Kukui nodded in agreement and Moon snorted, feeling as if they were unnecessarily vaunting Sun's potential.

Hala ignored this and walked up close to Sun. "I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island. Welcome to Alola! Young Kukui told me of your coming. I'm glad we got the chance to meet today." Hala greeted them as a now familiar ' _Pew_ ' got all of their attention and diverted it to Nebby who was floating excitedly on the stage behind Lillie.

"Oh! When did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It's safer that way." Lillie started with a sigh; now knowing that both Sun and Moon were aware of her charge's existence. She'd have to have chat with the other girl at some point, but for now there was nothing she could do about it. She turned to Sun upon seeing the way Nebby was eyeballing him cutely.

"Nebby, well… he seems to have taken a liking to you. I-I have read that Pokémon like it when you pet them or take good care of them, you know." Lillie rattled off the factoid like she always did when nervous and she seemed to get nervous around Sun more in a few hours than she did most other people in her entire time of knowing them. It was very strange.

Kukui decided that next moment to gift Sun with a Pokedex and a Trainer Passport he put together for him, informing him that Litten was already registered as Hau jumped up and down eagerly. Sun accepted the two gifts with gratitude; knowing he was officially and legally as registered Trainer now. He couldn't wait to see what Alola had to offer in terms of battling facilities and the like, but for now he was just content to go home and show Litten to his mom.

"This is awesome!" He laughed to sum it all up, and Moon decided that moment to pipe up as well.

"So, you chose Litten huh? I got Rowlet because Kukui here said something about extenuating circumstances, but that's okay because Rowlet is who I wanted in the first place. And besides, if I can't hold my own against an outsider despite his starter Pokémon's type advantage then what good am I?!" She demanded rhetorically as Sun's eyes narrowed again.

"Look, if I've done something to offend you in anyway…" He paused, trying to at least act civil.

"You offend me just by being here in Alola." She retorted bitingly.

"Right, because that's not at all prejudiced." Sun hissed in a surprisingly sardonic voice that made Lillie raise an eyebrow in an intrigued way. While she was liking this girl's attitude towards Sun less and less; something in Sun's tone was shockingly dark… it honestly made her both apprehensive and sent an inexplicable thrill through her body.

Kukui decided to drag their attention elsewhere and get Sun home before this turned into a full-blown fistfight between the two. "Well, you got to meet the Kahuna at least. Ready to head home now, Sun?" He asked him, getting Sun's attention as the intense look in his eyes softened and he backed further away from Moon who continued to watch Sun's every move. She'd seen that look in his eyes as he made that scornful statement, and it unnerved her more than she cared to admit.

"One second professor, there's one last thing I need to do tonight before I go home." Sun responded at last, turning to Ash who chuckled.

"Finally remembered I was here, did ya?" He stated as everyone's attention was on him and Sun.

Sun nodded before his eyes roved over to everyone else behind him. "You guys go on ahead, I shouldn't be too long, but I wish to speak with Ash alone." He announced, and while Kukui frowned he remembered what Ash said before about offering him something invaluable and stayed silent. Hala looked deeply unsettled by this but didn't bring himself to voice that feeling aloud. Hau looked confused and Lillie looked that and fascinated. Moon tried to look uninterested but was curious as well. No doubt being outsiders gave them a sense of kinship with each other.

"Um… okay then. Kukui, my boy, I think I'll retire for the night, but first… Sun, may I have a look at whatever is sparkling in your bag?" Hala pointed out the sparkling stone as it began to glitter in Sun's bag. Sun nodded and brought the stone out before handing it to Hala.

"Hmm, this stone… it can't be!" He exclaimed in a disbelieving tone as Hau got a good look at it as well.

"Tutu isn't that…" He paused as Hala turned to Sun; who continued to wait patiently alongside Ash as the kahuna said his piece.

"You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge- isn't that what I heard, Sun?" He asked the boy conversationally.

"Yeah, that's when I got this stone." Sun replied, seeing what Hala was getting at now.

"So, it even deigned to give you a stone. Perhaps you're here in Alola, Sun, because this is where you are meant to be. Allow me to borrow this stone for now. Fret not! I'll return it to you three-days from now in the evening." He assured Sun before the 14-year-old could even think to protest. Sun handed him the stone without question, and Hala's smile broadened.

"You have the makings of a brilliant Trainer. I can see that light within you, too. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival three-days from now!" He said.

"Will do." Sun replied as Moon scoffed at the idea of him ever being a successful Trainer here in Alola.

Hala and the others decided then to take their leave; Hau heading back with the kahuna to their house as Moon cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "I'll see you guys around, I'm spending the night in Hau'oli City in a hotel. Kahuna Oliva gave me enough of a startup fund to help me get my feet under the ground until my Rowlet and I start getting some experience and money from Trainer battles. So, yeah, later than. Take care of yourselves Kukui, Hau. And Lillie, be careful of that outsider, will ya?" Moon gave everyone a perfectly lovely farewell while completely neglecting Sun and all but warning Lillie to stay away from him. He tried not to take offense to that and found himself wondering yet again what the fuck this girl's problem was.

"Who I associate with is none of your concern… Moon. I couldn't care less whether Sun is Alolan or not." Lillie fired back, and Moon shrugged before taking off at a fast run down the stairs to the southern part of town. Once she was gone, that left just Sun, Ash, Lillie, and Kukui; the latter two decided to give the former duo some space to talk.

"I'll be here waiting to make sure you get home safely tonight Sun, so conclude your business with Ash quickly please." Kukui requested politely of him as Sun gave him a thumb up.

He and Ash walked together over by the trees bordering the Mahalo Trail, the IC2 Counterpart glancing down at the young boy with a cheery smile. "You said you would have your answer to my offer by time you made your way back down from Mahalo Trail. I take it that hasn't changed despite everything that's happened." Ash said knowingly. That was a statement, not a question, and Sun nodded in affirmation to further prove this.

"I did, and I still do. My mind hasn't changed in the slightest. If anything, my near-death experience tonight has taught me that life is precious. I almost lost mine today, and that would've been it… no second chances, no nothing. I would've been just a distant memory, unable to compete with time and death. The lifestyle you offer me is my chance to beat all the odds and become part of something greater than I could ever have imagined. I want to be able to make all the difference in my world and beyond so that when my time comes I can leave my life behind with no regrets and in the full knowledge of my passing being remembered by all. I think you knew this all along, but it was like I was born for this. Ash Ketchum IC2, I accept your offer to become as you are. I will become Sun IC2."


End file.
